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REESE  LIBRARY 

OF  i  m: 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


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UNIVERSITY 


LIFE 


AND 


ADVENTURES 


COL.     L.    A.     NORTON. 


WRITTEN     BY    HIMSELK. 


(UKIVERSIT 
\.  Qp-  / 


OAKLAND,     CAL., 

PACIFIC  PRESS   PUBLISHING  HOUSE. 
1887. 


ENTERED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  OF  CONGRESS,  IN  THE  YEAR  1887, 

BY  L.  A.  NORTON, 

IN  THE  OFFICE  OF  THE   LIBRARIAN  OF  CONGRESS,  AT  WASHINGTON. 


THE  PACIFIC  PRESS, 

Printers,  Electrotypers,  and  Binders, 

OAKLAND  ANU  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


"  /  I 


I 

AUTHOR'S    PREFACE. 


N  unveiling  my  life  to  the  public  gaze,  I  am  not  actuated 
by  any  eulogistic  or  mercenary  motives.  Nor  do  I 
think  that  the  life  of  any  man  in  the  ordinary  walks 
of  life  is  going  to  electrify  the  world,  or  even  be  extensively 
circulated  or  generally  -read,  in  this  day  and  age  when  so  many 
are  rushing  into  print.  And  as  evidence  that  this  sentiment 
is  honest,  the  small  edition  of  one  thousand  copies  is  sufficient. 
Notwithstanding  this  declaration,  I  imagine  I  have  a  history, 
and  in  many  respects  a  remarkable  one;  and  that  it  is  fraught 
with  interest  which  will  repay  the  reader  for  his  labor,  and  more 
especially  the  young  American  who  is  so  unfortunate  as  to  be 
turned  out  on  the  world  without  a  penny  or  influential  friends 
to  aid  him.  It  will  at  least  show  him  what  one  waif,  cast  out 
upon  the  stormy  billows  of  life,  has  accomplished;  or,  in  other 
words,  what  a  determined  spirit,  possessed  of  energy  and  per 
severance,  may  accomplish.  But  my  principal  object  in  writ 
ing  these  sketches  is  to  leave  my  record  with  my  children  and 
friends.  And  I  will  further  say  that  I  have  long  hesitated  be 
fore  publishing,  and  it  is  now  with  a  feeling  of  great  diffidence 
that  I  permit  the  work  to  go  to  press.  Not  that  I  fear  that 
it  does  not  possess  interest  sufficient  to  warrant  its  reading, 
but  from  the  extent  and  strangeness  of  many  incidents  that 
it  contains. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 


But  facts  are  stranger  than  fiction,  and  there  are  so  many 
living  witnesses  to  the  most  remarkable  scenes  and  events  here 
narrated  that  I  take  courage,  although  I  have  omitted  many 
things  that  have  occurred,  and  sights  which  I  have  seen,  be 
cause  I  felt  that  they  would,  not  be  credited.  For  instance,  in 
writing  up  my  memoirs,  in  one  place  I  had  stated  that,  at  the 
ancient  city  of  Pueblo  Viejo,  Lieutenant  Conkling  and  myself 
lay  beneath  the  shade  of  a  castor-bean  tree  which  was  more  than 
thirty  feet  in  height,  and  more  than  eighteen  inches  at  the  butt, 
and  which  was  undoubtedly  more  than  thirty  years  old.  A 
friend  at  my  elbow  said,  "Norton,  strike  it  out;  I  know  that 
your  statement  is  true,  but  you  cannot  make  the  Northern 
world  believe  it."  I  struck  it  out,  and  yet  when  any  of  my 
readers  go  to  Los  Angeles,  if  they  will  go  down  in  the  old 
Spanish  portion  of  the  town  they  will  find  a  castor-bean  root 
with  four  branches  coming  from  it,  either  of  which  is  over  six 
inches  through;  and  any  one  who  will  go  to  Anaheim,  Los 
Angeles  County,  and  travel  a  mile  northeast  from  that  place, 
can  credit  my  cactus  story. 

But  enough  of  this;  no  man  should  apologize  for  telling  the 
truth;  for  "he  who  most  investigates  will  most  believe." 
Read  my  whole  volume,  skeptic,  then  reply.  I  have  often 
heard  it  remarked  that  the  preface  to  a  book  is  seldom  read, 
hence  I  refer  the  reader  to  the  contents  of  the  work. 

L.  A.  NORTON. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 
CHAPTER  I.—  History  of  the  Norton  Family—  Parentage  and 

Birth  of  the  Subject  of  This  Volume-—  Leaving  Home  at  the 

Age  of  Eleven  Years:  —  Journey  to  Upper  Canada  ...........        9 

CHAPTER  II.  —  Life  Affected  by  Circumstances  in  Youth  —  A  Night 

of  Fearful  Suspense  in  a  Strange  Hotel  —  A  Lucky  Escape.  ...  14 
CHAPTER  III.—  A  Perilous  Voyage—  Working  Passage  toward 

Home  on  a  Lake  Ontario  Schooner  —  Arrival  Home  .........      21 

CHAPTER  IV.—  A  Terrible  Storm  at  Buffalo—  Recovering  a 

Longabsent  Brother  —  A  Terrible  Night  in  a  Canadian  Forest..  25 
CHAPTER  V.—  The  Canadian  Rebellion  of  1837-38—  Enlistment 

in  the  Spartan  Rangers  —  The  First  Skirmish  —  The  Force  De 

serted  by  the  Commander  —  Attempt  to  Reach  Home  .......  .      31 

CHAPTER  VI.—  A  Prisoner  of  War—  Assisting  Others  to  Escape- 

Held  without  Bail,  on  Various  Charges      ...................      36 

CHAPTER  VII.—  Thrilling  Incidents  of  Prison  Life—  Hard  Fare 

—  A  Postal  Arrangement  —  A  Free  Fight  ......    .  .  .........     42 

CHAPTER  VIII.—  Fruitless  Efforts  to  Escape—  Bribing  a  Sentinel 

—  A  Female  Spy  —  The   Populace    of  London    Frightened   by 
Harmless  Indians  .......................................      53 

CHAPTER  IX.—  From  Prison  to   Hospital—  The  Devil  Cheated— 
Final  Release  on  a  Sentence  of  "Voluntary  Banishment  "- 
A  Ninety-mile  Tramp  .........................  ........     6*2 

CHAPTER  X.  —  Experiences  in  Michigan  and  Illinois  —  Medicinal 
Discovery  —  Attempt  to  Inaugurate  an  Invasion  of  Canada  — 
Frustrated  by  the  U.  S.  Marshal—  Narrow  Escape  from  a 
Flood  —  Marriage  ...................  '  ....................  68 

CHAPTER  XL—  Memoirs  of  the  Mexican  War—  Raising  a  Com 
pany  in  Kane  County,  Illinois  —  Arrival  at  Carlton,  Louisiana 

—  Down  with  the  Measles  —  Arrival  at  Tampico,  Mexico  —  The 
"  Green  Sucker"  Who  Called  at  the  British  Consulate  for  Beer 

—  "  Pat's  "  First  Duty  on  Guard  —  The  Girl  Recruit  .........      78 

CHAPTER  XII.  —  The  Mexican  War,  Continued—  The  Denizens  of 

the  Chaparral  —  Expedition  up  the  Panuco  and  Tamosee  Rivers  89 
CHAPTER  XIII.—  The  Mexican  War,  Continued—  A  Daring  Ex 

ploit  at   Rancho  Ratonus  —  Pueblo  Viejo  —  A  Great  Festival.  .  .    104 


vi  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. — The  Mexican  War,  Continued — An  Exciting 
Cock-fight — Trial  of  an  Irish  Soldier  for  Killing  a  Mexican — 
Disobedience  of  Orders — Expedition  to  the  Sierra  Madre 
Country — Ruins  of  an  Ancient  City 117 

CHAPTER  XV.— The  Mexican  War,  Continued— The  Story  of  a 

Tiger — A  Weary  Tramp  on  Top  of  the  Chaparral 138 

CHAPTER  XVI.— The  Mexican  War,  Continued— Winter  Quarters 
— Expedition  to  Tampico  el  Alto — Capturing  the  Town  with 
Twenty  Men — Reprimanded  by  General  Gates 144 

CH AFTER  XVIL— The  Mexican  War,  Continued— Colonel  Walker, 
the  Texan  Ranger — Fall  of  the  National  Bridge — Battle  of 
Cerro  Gordo — Perote  Mountain  153 

CHAPTER  XVIIL— The  Mexican  War,  Continued  —  From  Hua- 
mantla  to  the  City  of  Mexico — Observations  in  the  City — Con 
vent  of  San  Domingo — Hand-to-hand  Conflict  with  a  Lancer 
Chief 172 

CHAPTER  XIX.— The  Mexican  War,  Continued— A  Mysterious 
Lady — Removal  to  Puebla — Return  to  Mexico — Narrow  Escape 
on  the  Battle-field  of  Contreras — Avenging  an  Outrage  by 
Guerrillas 180 

CHAPTER  XX.— The  Mexican  War,  Continued—The  City  of  Puebla 
— Riding  Out  for  Adventure' — The  Mexican  Rheumatism— The 
City  of  Cholula — Unexpectedly  Meeting  a  Brother .  191 

CHAPTER  XXL— The  Mexican  War,  Continued— Senor  Queretaro's 

Family — Another  Interesting  Female 202 

CHAPTER  XXII. —The  Mexican  War,  Continued— Another  Visit 
to  Cholula  and  Its  Great  Pyramid — Frustrating  a  Criminal  Plot 
among  U.  S.  Officers 207 

CHAPTER  XXIII.— The  Mexican  War,  Continued— Capturing  a 
Guerrilla  Rendezvous — Preparations  to  Evacuate  Mexican  Ter 
ritory — Threefold  Duties  and  Their  Perplexities. 216 

CHAPTER  XXIV.— The  Mexican  War,  Continued— Superseding 
the  Quartermaster-General — Arrival  at  New  Orleans — General 
Jollification — Sharpers  "Bucked  and  Gagged ''—Voyage  up 
the  Mississippi  and  Trouble  with  the  Steamboat  Captain — Re 
ception  at  Home — Letter  from  Colonel  Hicks  227 

CHAPTER  XXV.— Subduing  a  Noted  "  Bully. "   237 

CHAPTER  XXVI. — The  Restoration  of  a  Stolen  Corpse — Studying 

Law-^-Dispelling  a  Mob ...  242 

CHAPTER  XXVIL— Departure  for  California— Fruitless  Attempts 

at  Detention  248 

CHAPTER  XXVIIL— The  Journey  as  Far  as  Carson  Valley— Ad 
venture  at  the  Missouri  River — The  Indians  on  the  Plains  De 
mand  Toll 252 

CHAPTER  XXIX— Relief  Train  from  California— Military  Men  and 
the  Regulation  Ration — A  Fright  While  on  Guard — Crossing 
the  Mountains 257 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXX. — Initiated  as  a  Mountaineer— A  Lonely  Journey 

Across  the  Sierras 263 

CHAPTER  XXXI.— Another  Trip  from  Carson  to  Placerville— 

Forcing  a  Toll-bridge 270 

CHAPTER  XXXIL— Exper  ence  as  a  Miner— Supporting  a  Sick 
Crowd  through  the  Winter — A  Muscular  Contest  Over  a  Claim 
— Resuming  the  Law 274 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. —Lawyer  and  Merchant— "  Uncle  Billy's" 

Larceny 279 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.— An  Exciting  Horse-stealing  Case— Some  Pe 
culiarities  of  "  Early  Days  "  Practice 285 

CHAPTER  XXXV. — Opposition  to  Lynch  Law — Formation  of  So 
ciety — Outgeneraling  a  Mob — The  End  of  the  "Hangtown 
Oak/' 291 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. —A  Mysterious  Robbery,  and  the  Robber's  Con 
fession  294 

CHAPTER  XXXVII.— Placerville  Guards— The  County  Seat  Ques 
tion 303 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII.— A  Trip  to  Monterey  County— San  Luis 

Rancho — Shaved  by  a  Blacksmith 312 

CHAPTER  XXXIX.— District  Attorney  in  Western  Utah— In  Camp 
with  the  Mormons — Cheating  the  Fleas — Letters  from  Elder 
Orson  Hyde 321 

CHAPTER  XL.— Fire  in  Placerville— Removal  to  Healdsburg— The 

Squatter  War  333 

CHAPTER  XLL  — The  Squatter  War,  Continued 342 

CHAPTER  XLIL— The  Squatter  War,  Continued 350 

CHAPTER  XLIII.— Election  as  Colonel  of  an  Illinois  Regiment— 

A  Steamboat  Wheel 357 

CHAPTER  XLIV.— A  yisit  to  the  East— The  Departure— " Two 
Ladies  Leff" — Arrival  at  St.  Charles,  Illinois — Not  Recog 
nized  by  Old  Acquaintances — Chicago — I  Detroit — On  to  Lon 
don,  Canada ...  361 

CHAPTER  XLV.— Visit  to  the  East,  Continued— Old-time  Haunts 
in  Canada — Only  One  Norton  Left— On  to  Ogdensburg,  New 
York — To  Norton  Creek,  in  Lower  Canada — Childhood's 
Landmarks  all  Obliterated 369 

CHAPTER  XLV  I.— Visit  to  the  East,  Continued — Montreal — Notre 

Dame — Victoria  Bridge 380 

CHAPTER  XLVII. — Visit  to  the  East,  Continued— Vermont  and 

New  Hampshire — Boston — Albany — The  Hudson 383 

CHAPTER  XLVIIL— Visit  to  the  East,  Continued— New  York- 
Invulnerable  to  the  Arts  of  New  York  Sharpers — Various 
Attractions 390 

CHAPTER  XLIX.— Visit  to  the  East,  Continued— Philadelphia- 
Baltimore — Washington — Mount  Vernon 400 


viii  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L.— Visit  to  the  East,  Continued—"  On  to  Richmond  " 
— The  City'?  Prospects — Evidences  of  the  Civil  War  Obliter 
ated,  but  Relics  of  the  Revolution  Carefully  Preserved — Con 
dition  of  the  Negroes 411 

CHAPTER  LI. — Visit  to  the  East,  Continued— Homeward  Bound 
— Three  Winters  in  One  Year — The  Californian's  Pride  in 
Presenting  His  State  to  Fellow-passengers 418 

CHAPTER  LIT.  —  My   California    Home— The  Attractions   in  and 

around  Healdsburg 423 

CHAPTER  LIIL— Return  to  Business — Over  a  Thirty-foot  Preci 
pice  with  a  Team  and  Three  Fellow-passengers — A  Desperate 
Attempt  at  Assassination — Death  of  Mrs.  Norton,  and  Sub 
sequent  Marriage 428 

CHAPTER  LIV.— Political— Letter  to  Hon.  John  Bush,  of  Placer- 

ville 434 

CHAPTER  LV. — Complimentary — Letter  from  Gen.   R.  Patterson, 

U.  S.  A 439 

CHAPTER  LVL—  A  Sea  Voyage  to  Santa  Barbara— An  Enchant 
ing  Sunset — A  Tour  around  the  Valley,  and  Description  of 
Prominent  Places 442 

POKiVLS. 

To  Miss  Minnie  Molloy,  Santa  Rosa,  Cal 449 

To  My  Wife 450 

To  Mary 450 

Respectfully  Addressed  to  One  of  the  American  Officers  in  Mexico.  .  452 

To  My  Truest  and  Best  Friend 454 

To  A.  C.  Barry, -Esq 454 

Black  Eyes 455 

To  the  One  for  Whom  It  Was  Intended 456 

Lines  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hall .  457 

Midnight  and  the  Grave 459 

Lines  Regarding  a  Flower  Kept  Ten  Years 459 

The  Sylphide 462 

Ode  to  the  Rt.  Rev.  J    K.  Barry 463 

Montega's  Adieu  to  the  Fox 464 

Lines   465 

On  Slander 466 

Lines  Respectfully  Addressed  to 467 

The  Will  of  Leonatus 469 

Written  on  the  Summit  of  Fitch  Mountain,  While  Sitting  on  an  Ant 
hill 470 

A  Dream 47 1 

A  Dialogue   between  the  Head  and   Heart,  as  to   Which    Had  the 

Stronger  Claim  upon  the  Soul 476 

Lines 481 

The  Rio  Grande  Shore 482 

The  Patriot's  Dream 484 


THE  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

COL.  L.  A.  NORTON 


CHAPTER    I. 

HISTORY    OF    THE    NORTON    FAMILY. 

THE  history  of  the  Nortons,  of  which  I  am  about  to 
write,  antedates  the  Revolutionary  War,  how  long, 
I  do  not  know,  but  the  traditions  of  our  branch  of  the 
family  commence  with  a  sea  captain,  an  Englishman,  who 
owned  and  sailed  his  ship.  This  man  had  two  sons,  both 
of  whom  he  settled  in  America,  one  in  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Connecticut,  and  one  in  Virginia.  As  to  the 
Virginia  stock,  I  know  nothing  about  it;  as  to  the  Con 
necticut  settler,  tradition  follows  back  six  generations, 
commencing  with  Eleazer,  and  passing  down  successively 
with  John,  Mirum,  Daniel,  Lewis,  and  Lewis  Adelbert — 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Daniel  Norton,  my  grandfather,  at  an  early  day  move  d 
from  some  of  the  Eastern  States  back  into  Lower  Can 
ada,  near  the' line  of  New  York  State,  in  the  town  shire 
of  Hemmingford,  upon  a  stream  called  Norton  Creek, 
named  after  him.  The  country  was  very  heavily  timbered 
and  sparsely  settled.  At  the  time  of  which  I  write,  he 
had  made  considerable  improvements  in  clearing,  fenc- 


10  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ing  land,  etc.  The  American  Revolutionary  War  was 
then  raging.  My  grandfather's  neighbors  were  princi 
pally  Tories,  while  his  sympathies  were  with  the  Whigs, 
although  up  to  this  time  he  had  taken  no  part  in  the 
struggle.  He  was  building  a  barn,  and  was  on  the  roof 
shingling  when  a  lot  of  men  passed  (eight  in  number,  I 
believe)  who  had  been  to  a  logging  bee,  and  some  of  them 
were  a  little  the  worse  for  liquor.  One  of  them  said, 
"  Let  us  drive  that  old  Whig  off  from  the  barn,"  and 
they  ordered  him  to  come  down.  He  paid  no  attention 
to  them,  whereupon  they  commenced  throwing  stones  at 
him.  Presently  one  of  the  stones  struck  him,  hurting  him 
pretty  badly,  Being  a  very  passionate  man,  he  rushed 
down  from  the  barn  roof,  with  his  hammer  in  his  hand, 
when  he  was  met  by  the  crowd.  Their  leader  attempted 
to  strike  my  grandfather,  who  dodged  the  blow  and 
struck  his  antagonist  on  the  head  with  his  hammer,  and, 
unfortunately,  killed  him,  having  by  chance  hit  him  on 
the  temple.  Of  course  he  was  then  compelled  to  surren 
der  himself  to  the  authorities,  who,  after  an  examination, 
discharged  him  from  custody.  But  he  could  not  continue 
to  reside  among  the  Tories  after  that,  so  he  removed 
across  the  line  and  settled  in  New  Hampshire,  and  after 
ward  to  Connecticut,  where  my  father  was  born. 

After  the  close  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  how 
ever,  he  removed  back  to  Lower  Canada,  and  again  set 
tled  on  his  old  farm  in  Hemmingford,  and  remained  there 
until  1 808  or  1809,  when  he  emigrated  to  Upper  Canada 
and  located,  with  the  younger  portion  of  his  family,  in 
London,  a  district  town  of  Westminster.  At  this  place 
he  remained  up  to  his  death. 

In  the  meantime  my  father,  Lewis  Norton,  had  married 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  11 

Elizabeth  Burhart,  who  was  of  German  extraction,  hav 
ing  been  born  and  raised  in  Pennsylvania.  On  their 
marriage  they  settled  in  the  State  of  New  York,  near 
Chautauqua,  close  to  the  Canada  line,  where  they  re 
mained  until  the  war  of  1812.  When  the  British  had 
massacred  the  inhabitants  of  Black  Rock  and  Buffalo,  the 
New  York  militia  was  called  out,  my  father  among  others. 
At  this  time  he  removed  his  wife  and  three  children  to 
the  village  of  Batavia,  Genesee  County,  New  York. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  affair  of  the  destruction  of  Black 
Rock,  and  also  at  the  burning  of  Buffalo.  When  the 
enemy's  forces  were  at  last  driven  out,  they  were  con 
centrated  against  the  garrison  of  Fort  Erie,  which  was  on 
the  Canadian  side  of  the  Niagara  River  and  occupied  by 
the  Americans.  A  call  was  now  issued  to  the  New 
York  militia  for  recruits  to  join  the  regular  force  for  the 
defense  of  Fort  Erie.  My  father  volunteered,  and  in 
the  three  days'  fight  before  Fort  Erie,  at  a  sortie, 
he,  and  about  three  hundred  others  were  made  prison 
ers,  having  been  cut  off  from  the  main  force.  My  father, 
when  taken,  had  Thos.  C.  Love  on  his  back,  wounded. 
Love  at  this  time  was  a  young  lawyer.  Being  wounded, 
he  was  exchanged.  He  afterwards  rose  to  eminence, 
and  was  for  many  years  on  the  bench  as  judge.  He 
died  some  years  since,  at  or  near  Williamsville,  New 
York.  My  father  was  sent  to  Halifax,  where  he  was 
kept  a  prisoner  till  the  close  of  the  war. 

Soon  after  the  war,  my  grandfather  gave  my  father 
the  old  homestead  in  Hemmingford,  the  buildings  and 
other  improvements  having  been  destroyed  during  the 
war.  My  father  returned  to  Chautauqua,  Franklin 
County,  New  York,  in  1818,  where  he  resided  at  my 


12  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

birth,  in  1819,  after  which  he  returned  to  Canada,  and 
settled  again  on  Norton  Creek,  about  twelve  miles  below 
the  old  homestead,  on  what  was  called  the  Domain, 
where  he  resided  till  I  was  eight  years  old.  I  was  the 
fifth  child  of  a  family  of  nine.  This  being  a  cold,  rocky, 
and  barren  region,  my  parents  moved  back  to  Franklin 
County,  New  York,  where  I  remained  till  I  was  eleven 
years  old. 

As  my  parents  were  poor  and  had  a  large  family,  I  was 
determined  to  look  out  for  myself.  Early  on  the  second 
day  of  May,  1829,  I  tied  my  worldly  possessions  in  a 
pocket  handkerchief,  strung  it  over  my  shoulder,  and,  like 
a  young  quail  with  a  shell  on  its  back,  I  left  the  nest 
with  twenty-five  cents  in  my  pocket,  and  "dug  out"  on 
foot.  The  second  day  I  arrived  at  the  Read  Mill,  St. 
Lawrence  County,  New  York,  where  I  hired  to  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Tibbits,  at  four  dollars  per  month,  and  I 
worked  four  months.  At  the  end  of  that  time  I  again 
shouldered  my  pack,  with  my  sixteen  dollars,  and  went 
to  Ogdensburg,  where  I  crossed  the  St.  Lawrence  River 
and  took  a  Canadian  steamer  to  Queenstown,  en  route 
to  Upper  Canada,  now  known  as  Canada  West,  where  I 
had  uncles  residing.  I  then  walked  to  Niagara  Falls, and, 
after  visiting  the  Falls,  went  up  the  Niagara  River  and 
crossed  to  Black  Rock,  thence  to  Buffalo,  and,  after  a 
couple  of  days  at  Buffalo,  I  found  a  schooner  going  up 
Lake  Erie  and  soon  made  arrangements  to  work  my 
passage  on  board  of  it  up  the  lake. 

It  was  claimed  that  the  vessel  was  loaded  with  brick;  I 
have  since  been  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  a  smuggler. 
On  our  way  up  we  encountered  a  heavy  gale,  but  at 
length  we  landed  in  the  woods  at  an  anchorage  they 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  13 

called  Nanticoke.  I  went  on  shore  in  the  schooner's  boat, 
and  again,  with  my  pack  on  my  back,  I  threaded  the  Can 
ada  shore  of  Lake  Erie  for  several  miles  through  the 
woods  before  I  came  to  any  settlement;  -but  at  length? 
after  a  day's  hard  traveling,  I  reached  Long  Point, 
where  the  farmers  were  not  yet  through  their  harvest. 
Hands  were  scarce,  and  I  soon  contracted  for  fifty  cents 
per  day  (half  a  man's  wages).  I  worked  twenty  days 
and  got  ten  dollars,  and  again  pursued  my  journey. 

I  had  been  told  that  I  would  have  to  go  by  the  way 
of  Cettle  Creek,  and  when  I  had  journeyed  about  half  a 
day,  I  commenced  making  inquiries  for  Pot  Creek;  but 
I  was  made  all  right  on  that  point  by  a  party  informing 
me  that  it  was  Cettle,  not  Pot,  Creek  that  I  wanted. 
In  due  time  I  reached  my  uncles  in  Westminster,  and 
found  them  to  be  close-fisted,  thriving  farmers.  I  was 
well  received  and  went  to  work  for  one  of  my  uncles;  no 
wages  was  named.  I  worked  for  him  four  months,  for 
which  he  gave  me  a  pair  of  sheep's-gray  pants  and 
made  all  square  by  so  doing. 

I  will  here  take  occasion  to  say  that,  during  all  my 
perambulations,  I  never  lost  an  opportunity  to  learn 
to  read  and  write.  On  leaving  my  uncle's  I  went  to 
London  Gove,  where  I  made  arrangements  with  an  old 
Dutchman  to  do  chores  night  and  morning  and  go  to 
school.  Here  I  got  three  months'  schooling,  and,  being 
quick  to  learn  and  having  a  retentive  memory,  I  advanced 
with  my  reading,  writing,  and  spelling  very  fast.  As 
spring  approached  I  hired  to  a  man  by  the  name  of  Per 
kins,  for  six  months  at  six  dollars  per  month.  From 
him  I  got  only  a  small  portion  of  my  wages,  and  that  in 
store  pay.  I  continued  to  work  thjU^siiJomrier  and  the 

S<&&& 

f      **         OF  THE 

(UNIVERSITY 


14  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  0F 

winter  following.  Having  clothed  myself  and  having 
some  money  in  my  pocket  to  pay  expenses,  I  went  to 
Oxford  Center,  where  I  expected  to  meet  my  brother; 
but  not  finding  him,  I  hired  out  to  one  John  Falin,  a 
h  >tel  keeper,  for  ten  dollars  for  a  month's  work,  when  I 
fully  resolved  to  return  to  Chautauqua  and  try  to  induce 
the  family  to  move  to  Upper  Canada. 


CHAPTER    II. 

LIFE    AFFECTED   BY   CIRCUMSTANCES    IN    YOUTH. 

1H  AVE  come  to  the  conclusion  that  there  are  circum 
stances  in  early  life  which  color  our  future  existence 
and  stick  to  us  like  the  shirt  of  Nessus  until  the  day  of 
our  death.  About  the  year  1832,  when  a  mere  youth,  I 
found  myself,  after  eighteen  months'  rambling  over  the 
wilds  of  Canada,  some  seven  or  eight  hundred  miles  from 
home.  The  country,  at  that  time,  was  sparsely  settled. 
Travel  was  almost  entirely  local,  farmers  traversing  the 
country  with  ox-carts  or  wagons,  from  their  homes  to 
the  small  market  towns.  Mails,  in  most  instances,  were 
carried  on  horseback,  with  once  in  awhile,  on  the  mcr  .- 
frequented  thoroughfares,  a  stage-coach.  But  if  a  man 
wished  to  make  a  journey  of  any  distance,  it  was  gener 
ally  performed  on  foot. 

For  the  year  past  .1  had  been  working  by  the  month, 
at  eight  dollars  per  month,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
found  myself  in  possession  of  what  then  seemed  to  me 
to  be  all  the  wealth  I  needed.  I  accordingly  resolved 
to  visit  my  home  in  Lower  Canada,  near  Montreal.  I 
therefore  invested  about  twenty  dollars  in  a  nice  suit  of 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  15 

moleskin,  pocketed  my  wealth,  and  about  the  eighth  day 
of  June,  1834,  with  my  little  bundle  (change  of  clothes), 
left  John  Falin's  hotel,  town  of  Oxford,  London  District, 
Canada  West,  for  Hamilton,  where  I  expected  to  take 
water  conveyance,  going  down  the  lakes  and  St.  Law 
rence  River.  Of  course  I  was  on  foot.  At  nightfall  I 
arrived  at  the  town  of  Paris,  on  the  Grand  River. 

Paris  was  then  a  small  town,  on  the  west  bank  of  that 
stream.  The  town  was  mostly  composed  of  wooden 
buildings,  but  as  I  entered  the  place,  somewhat  remote 
from  other  buildings,  I  noticed  quite  a  large  stone  struct 
ure,  upon  one  side  of  which  I  saw  a  large  bonnet  pict 
ured.  In  fact  it  was  the  picture  of  the  bonnet  that 
particularly  attracted  my  attention  to  the  house.  I 
passed  it  and  continued  my  tramp  down  a  slope  to  near 
the  river,  where  I  found  a  hotel,  the  :t  Travelers'  Home." 
I  entered  the  house,  and  deposited  the  bundle  with  the 
landlady,  who  seemed  to  be  the  "  man  of  the  house." 
She  was,  I  should  suppose  from  her  appearance,  about 
forty  years  old,  short  and  florid,  with  a  light  complexion, 
and  an  immense  amount  of  carrot-colored  hair,  that 
looked  as  though  it  and  a  comb  had  been  strangers  for 
months.  I  judged  her  complexion  more  from  the  color 
of  her  hair  than  from  the  color  of  her  face,  as  that  was 
extremely  streaked. 

In  receiving  my  pay  from  Falin,  I  had  got  a  London 
one-pound  note,  and,  boy  like,  rather  to  make  a  show 
than  through  fear  that  the  bank  would  break  before 
morning,  I  called  for  a  glass  of  beer  and  got  my  note 
changed  into  silver,  when  I  soon  noticed  that  this  action 
caused  the  garrulous  woman  to  commence  plying  me 
with  questions  regarding  my  trip,  and  where  I  was  going. 


16  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Lower  Canada  was  a  long  distance — over  seven  hundred 
miles.  "You  must,"  said  she,  "have  plenty  of  money 
to  take  you  that  distance;  where  do  you  get  your  money 
to  travel  with  ?  "  etc.  To  all  of  which  I  replied  that  I 
supposed  I  had  sufficient  money  for  my  journey;  that 
I  worked  for  some  of  it,  and  some  my  father  gave 
me  to  travel  with.  During  supper-time  and  all  the  even 
ing  the  burden  of  her  theme  was  on  my  money,  which 
made  me  feel  rather  uncomfortable.  I  gave  her  but 
little  further  satisfaction  on  that  point,  but  finally  told 
her  that  I  was  tired  and  would  like  to  go  to  bed. 

She  called  on  a  couple  of  men,  I  think  she  called  them 
James  and  John,  and  told  them  to  "take  that  boy  to  bed." 
It  struck  me  as  strange.  I  took  a  glance  at  the  two 
worthies  and  found  them,  in  appearance,  a  couple  of  as 
well-defined  cut-throats  as  it  was  ever  my  misfortune  to 
have  seen  (in  fact  they  were  all  foreigners,  Irish  or  Scotch, 
I  should  think).  The  men  lit  a  lantern  and  told  me  to 
come  with  them.  I  began  to  be  frightened  and  rather 
hesitated;  but  one  of  them  casually  observed  that  they 
had  lately  moved  there  and  their  beds  were  not  yet  re 
moved  to  that  house,  when  I  reluctantly  followed  them- 
We  proceeded  along  the  road  by  which  I  had  entered 
the  town,  to  the  large  stone  structure  with  the  big  bon 
net  p  i  in  ted  on  the  outer  wall,  heretofore  mentioned, 
which  we  entered. 

The  first  room  seemed  to  have  been  used  as  a  bar 
room,  although  at  the  time  it  was  wholly  divested  of 
furniture.  We  crossed  the  room  to  a  landing.  A  door 
opened  to  the  left  of  the  landing,  which  revealed  a  large 
room  which  seemed  to  have  been  used  as  a  dining-room; 
that  was  also  unfurnished.  We  stepped  upon  the  land- 


COLONEL  *L.  A.  NORTON.  17 

ing  and  commenced  ascending  spiral  stairs,  passed  two 
landings,  and  ascended  to  the  third  story  of  the  building; 
all  the  lower  part  of  the  house  seemed  unoccupied. 
After  making  our  final  landing  we  passed  through  a 
hall,  at  the  end  of  which  they  showed  me  my  room. 
A  half  dozen  times  I  was  on  the  point  of  turning  back, 
telling  them  I  would  go  no  farther,  but  diffidence  and 
shame  prevented  me.  Well,  I  entered  my  bedroom, 
which  was  on  the  south  side  of  the  building.  They 
gave  me  a  piece  of  candle  which  they  made  stand  up  by 
melting  some  tallow  on  the  window-sill,  and  sticking  the 
unlit  end  of  the  candle  into  it;  then  left  me  alone  in  my 
glory. 

The  two  worthies  retired  to  an  adjoining  room,  which 
had  a  board  partition  between  them  and  myself.  I 
pulled  off  my  boots,  took  up  the  candle,  and  first 
examined  the  door  to  see  if  it  could  be  fastened,  but 
found  nothing  but  a  common  latch  on  it.  Having  heard 
of  dead-falls  and  trap-doors,  I  next  commenced  an  ex 
amination  of  the  room,  but  found  nothing  unusual  in 
the  floor.  I  next  investigated  my  bed,  to  see  if  it  stood  on 
a  trap,  but  nothing  suspicious  presented  itself.  I  then 
took  a  peep  from  my  lofty  roost  out  of  the  window,  but 
it  was  far  down  to  the  hard  street,  and  a  leap  from  there 
would  be  attended  with  sure  death.  I  then  returned  to 
my  bed  and  examined  it  to  see  if  the  bedstead  contained 
a  cord.  I  found  it  did.  Then  my  next  thought  was  to 
take  it  out  and  place  the  bedstead  by  the  window,  and 
tie  the  cord  to  it  to  aid  my  flight,  if  necessary;  but 
pride  and  shame  again  carried  the  sway,  and  I  resolved 
to  go  to  bed  and  await  results. 

I  had  not  so  much  as  a  penknife  in  case  of  necessity; 


18  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

so  I  placed  my  boots  at  the  head  of  the  bed  as  my  only 
weapons.  My  bed  consisted  of  a  straw  tick,  two  blan 
kets,  and  two  pillows.  I  divested  myself  of  coat  and 
vest  and  turned  in  with  pants  and  socks  on.  I  put  both 
pillows  under  my  head,  so  I  should  be  able  to  carefully 
watch  every  movement.  There  was  a  full  moon  shining 
obliquely  through  my  window,  so  when  the  candle  was 
extinguished  it  was  not  dark  in  the  room;  and  there  was 
a  small  crack  in  the  board  partition  separating  me  from 
the  room  where  the  two  roughs  were  sleeping,  and  through 
that  I  could  discover  that  their  light  had  not  been  ex 
tinguished.  This  continued  to  burn  until  eleven  or 
twelve  o'clock,  when  it  was  extinguished.  That  circum 
stance  allayed  my  fears  a  little,  but  yet  I  dared  not  go  to 
sleep.  I  had  a  vague  feeling  of  danger,  for  everything 
to  me  seemed  suspicious.  Many  times  I  started,  think 
ing  that  I  heard  light  footfalls  in  different  directions. 
Knowing  that  all  my  senses  were  wrought  to  the  high 
est  pitch,  I  would  attribute  it  to  imagination,  which  was 
probably  correct. 

So  time  passed  on  until  nearly  two  o'clock,  when  I 
heard  some  person  ascending  the  stairs.  The  step  came 
up — up — up.  I  lay  intently  listening,  most  devoutly 
hoping  that  it  would  stop  short  of  my  room;  but  such 
was  not  the  case.  On  came  the  light  tread,  until  my 
door  was  quietly  pushed  open  and  a  man  entered  the 
room  with  a  bull's-eye  lantern  in  his  hand.  He  was  a 
man  of  about  thirty  years  of  age,  well  dressed  in  a  busi 
ness  suit,  and  had  nothing  of  the  villainous  appear 
ance  of  the  other  two  He  stopped  at  the  door  and 
turned  his  lantern  until  he  threw  the  light  full  upon  me. 
•He  stood  and  looked  steadily  at  me  for  a  time  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  19 

seemed  to  me  ten  minutes,  but  it  was  probably  not 
more  than  two,  during  which  time  I  had  laid  perfectly 
still,  with  my  eyes  apparently  closed  in  sleep;  but,  in 
fact,  the  lids  were  sufficiently  open  to  allow  me  to  watch 
him  closely.  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  would  not 
do  to  feign  sleep;  consequently,"  all  of  a  sudden,  I  arose 
to  a  sitting  position,  thrust  my  right  hand  beneath  the 
pillows,  and,  with  all  the  firmness  that  I  could  command, 
by  voice,  look,  and  gesture;  I  demanded:  "  What  do  you 
want,  sir?"  The  party  replied:  "Oh,  nothing.  I  did 
not  know  how  you  were  resting,  and  I  thought  I  would 
step  in  and  see.  Shall  I  not  come  and  fix  your  pillows 
under  your  head  ? "  I  replied  that  my  head  was  all 
right;  that  I  was  very  tired  and  wished  not  to  be  dis 
turbed.  He  replied:  "I  shall  not  disturb  you,"  and 
turned  and  left  my  room. 

But  I  could  tell,  first  by  the  step  and  then  by  the  light 
that  penetrated  to  my  room  through  the  crevices  hereto 
fore  mentioned,  that  he  had  entered  the  room  of  my  two 
first-named  companions.  He  remained  there  some  little 
time,  when  I  heard  him  descending  the  stairs,  but  could 
see  that  a  light  had  been  left  burning  in  their  room, 
which  to  me,  in  my  affrighted  state,  was  no  g  od  omen. 
While  I  lay  considering  what  to  do,  the  downward  step 
seemed  to  stop  at  the  second  landing,  and  apparently 
entered  a  room;  and  presently,  from  the  same  direction, 
I  heard  a  kind  of  ticking  sound  which  I  could  not  de 
scribe  until  many  years  after,  when  I  heard  it  repeated 
by  water  dropping  on  an  uncarpeted  floor  from  a  table. 
I  now  formed  a  resolution  to  attempt  my  escape  from 
the  den.  I  think  the  light  left  burning  in  the  room 
where  the  two  men  were  had  much  to  do  with  my  de- 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


termination.  I  stepped  quietly  out  of  bed,  put  on  my 
coat,  vest,  and  hat,  took  my  boots  in  my  hand  and  moved 
towards  the  door,  the  room  being  quite  light,  as  the  full 
moon  shone  straight  into  the  window.  And  here  was 
something  that  I  have  never  been  able  to  account  for. 
As  I  approached  the  door  I  noticed  it  was  ajar,  in  fact, 
open  about  four  inches.  I  carefully  pushed  it  open  and 
saw  something  black  beyond,  coming  clear  unto  the 
threshold.  I  put  out  my  foot'and  found  it  was  a  hole  in 
the  floor!  The  thought  flashed  across  me  that  I  assur 
edly  came  through  a  hall  before  coming  into  the  room. 
But  I  seated  myself  on  the  door-sill  and  felt  around  with 
my  feet  for  the  stairs;  but  there  were  none,  and  this  fact 
further  increased  my  terror.  I  thought  I  was  fastened 
in;  but,  to  my  relief,  on  further  examination,  I  found  the 
door  through  which  I  had  entered,  shutting  on  the  same 
jamb,  and  swinging  the  other  way,  closed,  but  not  fast 
ened.  I  left  the  room,  passed  noiselessly  through  the 
hall  and  down  the  stairs  through  the  old  bar-room.  I 
found  the  outer  door  locked,  but  the  key  was  in  the  door. 
I  soon  passed  out,  slamming  the  door  behind  me.  Then 
I  did  some  good,  lively  running  for  about  a  block,  when 
I  sat  down,  pulled  on  my  boots,  and  made  fof  the  hotel. 
No  one  can  tell  the  joy  I  felt  at  my  escape.  I  went  and 
rapped  at  the  hotel  door.  The  landlord,  whom  I  had 
not  seen  before,  got  up,  let  me  in,  and  asked  me  what  I 
wanted.  I  told  him  I  wanted  to  pay  my  bill  and  be  go 
ing;,  that  I  heard  the  blacksmiths  at  work  and  thought 
it  was  time  forme  to  be  traveling.  He  remarked  that  it 
was  only  between  two  and  three  o'clock,  and  that  the 
ferryman  would  not  be  out  for  some  time,  and  that  I  had 
better  take  a  rug  and  lie  down  by  the  fire,  and  he  would 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  21 

call  me  when  it  was  time  to  go.  I  did  so,  and  was  soon 
asleep.  He  aroused  me  all  too  soon,  and  informed  me 
that  I  would  find  my  bundle  in  the  store,  or  baggage- 
room. 

I  found  my  bundle,  as  per  directions,  apparently  all 
right,  excepting  that  a  woman's  stocking  was  protruding 
from  it.  I  pulled  it  out,  threw  it  on  the  floor,  and  bade 
good-by  to  the  "Travelers'  Home."  I  asked  the  ferry 
man  what  kind  of  a  house  they  kept  at  the  "Travelers' 
Home,"  and  he  said  it  had  a  bad  reputation.  I  then 
told  him  my  story.  He  simply  remarked  that  he 
thought  me  in  luck  to  get  away  as  well  as  I  did.  I  gave 
him  the  facts  just  as  they  occurred,  without  comment. 
Whether  any  reasonable  explanation  could  be  given  to 
the  appearance  of  things  and  the  conduct  of  the  parties, 
I  do  not  know;  but  there  is  one  thing  I  do  know,  and 
that  is,  that  from  the  effects  of  that  night's  scare,  no 
person  can  enter  my  room,  even  in  his  stocking  feet, 
without  awaking  me. 


CHAPTER     III. 

A   PERILOUS   VOYAGE   AND   ARRIVAL   HOME. 

ON  leaving  the  ferry,  I  trudged  along  until  I  arrived 
at  Hamilton,  where  I  soon  made  arrangements  with 
the  captain  of  a  schooner  to  work  my  passage  (as  cook) 
down  to  Prescott.  I  went  down  in  the  forecastle,  where 
the  mate  was  shaking  with  the  ague,  and  pulling  off  my 
coat  (which  contained  my  money  in  a  side  pocket)  some 
change  rolled  out  as  I  threw  it  upon  a  coil  of  ropes.  I 
replaced  it  and  went  to  work,  helping  about  loading  the 


22  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

vessel,  when  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  hours  the 
mate  asked  the  captain's  permission  to  go  up  town  and 
get  some  medicine  for  his  ague.  The  captain  remarked 
that  he  had  better  send  the  little  cook,  as  he  could  not  be 
of  so  much  use  on  the  vessel.  I  saw  that  he  seemed  loth 
to  let  me  go,  but  after  a  little  hesitation  he  handed  me  my 
directions,  with  the  money.  I  at  once  recognized  the 
stamped  fifty-cent  piece  as  being  of  my  money,  and  as 
soon  as  I  got  away  from  the  vessel  I  looked  for  the  re 
mainder,  but  not  one  cent  was  left.  I  got  the  medicine 
and  returned  with  it,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  mate 
went  to  the  coil  of  rope  and  commenced  looking  for  my 
money  (knowing  well  that  it  was  not  there),  when  the 
mate,  in  a  savage  manner  wanted  to  know  what  I  was 
doing  there.  I  told  him  that  I  was  looking  for  my 
money.  He  cursed  me,  and  told  me  that  if  I  went  ran 
sacking  around  there  he  would  break  my  little  neck.  I 
picked  up  ten  cents  that  had  escaped  the  fate  of  the 
rest,  and  went  to  the  captain  with  my  complaint.  He 
said  he  could  do  nothing,  and  asked  me  good-naturedly 
if  I  did  not  know  that  all  sailors  would  steal.  We  left 
the  little  bay  at  Hamilton  on  May  12,  1832.  The  wind 
was  blowing  very  hard  and  the  captain  was  advised  not 
to  venture  from  the  harbor,  but  he  was  an  old  "  salty," 
very  headstrong,  and  sometimes  reckless  withal,  and 
when  we  got  fairly  out  on  Lake  Ontario  it  was  blowing 
a  terrific  gale,  which  constantly  increased.  As  soon  as 
we  got  fairly  out  they  began  to  shorten  sail;  'but  the 
wind  continued  to  blow  at  a  fearful  rate.  Some  of 
the  halyards  got  foul  (I  think  that  was  what  they  called 
it),  and  before  they  could  relieve  the  foremast  she  went 
by  the  board,  and  that  smashed  the  bulwark.  Cutting 
the  lines  and  shrouds,  they  let  the  mast  go. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  23 

There  were  two  "  fresh  water "  sailors  on  board,  who 
soon  gave  up  and  went  below,  and  no  threats  or  persua 
sions  could  get  them  upon  deck.  Night  came  on  and 
we  were  running  under  the  bare  poles  without  a  rag  of 
canvas.  Every  man  ha_l  a  line  around  his  middle  and 
fastened  to  the  mainmast.  The  sea  was  constantly 
breaking  over.  We  had  a  deck  load  of  flour,  but  the 
waves  had  carried  away  our  bulwark  'midship,  together 
with  the  deck  loading;  also  my  galley  and  stove.  At 
about  ten  o'clock  at  night  I  went  to  my  berth,  my  hands 
having  been  all  blistered  and  the  blisters  worn  off  to  the 
bare  meat.  I  could  not  sleep,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  I  could  keep  myself  in  the  berth;  the  wind  had  not 
abated  its  fury  in  the  least.  The  captain  was  swearing 
because  he  had  not  sea-room.  He  and  the  mate  and 
one  sailor  did  all  that  men  could  dare  and  suffer;  but 
about  noon  the  second  day  the  wind  howled  so  that  we 
could  neither  hear  nor  see  anything  save  snow  and  sleet 
everywhere.  Ropes  and  shrouds  were  covered  with  ice, 
and  the  captain  exclaimed,  "D — n  her,  she  willgo  to 
the  bottom." 

I  had  attempted  to  set  the  table  once,  but  it  was  no 
go;  the  cloth  would  slide  from  the  table,  and  about  this 
time  the  blind  light  in  the  stern  was  burst  in,  and  the 
lockers  were  all  drenched,  the  water  being  knee  deep  in 
the  cabin.  They  got  planks  and  spikes  and  temporarily 
stopped  the  water  from  coming  in  behind;  but  there  was 
one  thing  that  they  protected,  that  was  one  jug  of  spirits. 
They  had  that  lashed  to  a  berth  and  made  frequent 
visits  to  it.  When  the  captain  said  the  vessel  would  go 
to  the  bottom,  they  put  her  square  before  the  wind  and 
let  hjr  take  ner  chances.  They  dare  not  attempt  to 


24  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

make  any  port,  but  just  at  dark  that  night  we  reached 
the  St.  Lawrence  River  and  got  protection  of  the  Thou 
sand  Islands.  That  storm  the  I2th,  I3th,  and  I4th  of 
May,  1832,  will  long  be  remembered.  The  corn  was 
well  up  and  some  of  the  grain  was  headed  out.  The 
extreme  cold  froze  the  corn,  injured  the  oats  and  barley, 
killed  the  leaves  on  the  beech  trees,  and  in  some  portions 
of  the  State  of  New  York  the  snow  fell  to  the  depth  of 
eight  inches,  which  must  still  be  remembered  by  the  old 
men  of  that  day. 

We  dropped  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  next 
morning  we  lay  off  Prescott.  They  hitched  lines  to  the 
anchor,  and  we  were  compelled  to  pull  the  schooner 
ashore  by  the  line  (they  called  it  working  it  in).  When 
we  had  landed  I  got  my  breakfast — some  "  hard-tack"— 
on  board,  and  invested  my  ten  cents  in  a  passage  to 
Ogdensburg,  and  from  there  I  soon  made  my  way  down 
to  Tibbits'  place,  six  miles.  They  were  delighted  to  see 
me,  and  at  once  gave  me  work.  I  worked  there  until  I 
had  earned  sufficient  money  to  take  me  home,  when  I  con 
tinued  my  journey  on  foot  to  Norton  Creek,  where  the 
family  had  removed.  When  I  joined  them,  and  as  soon 
as  we  could  make  preparations  so  to  do,  we  all  returned  to 
Upper  Canada.  For  the  next  three  years  I  worked  by 
the  month  for  the  most  of  the  time,  doing  a  man's  work 
and  receiving  from  thirteen  to  fifteen  dollars  per  month, 
after  which  I  engaged  with  my  oldest  brother  in  a  fishery 
business.  On  what  is  known  as  Catfish  Creek,  or  rather 
its  mouth  where  it  empties  into  Lake  Erie,  we  ran  one 
season  and  made  several  hundred  dollars  each. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  25 

CHAPTER    IV. 

A  TERRIBLE  STORM,  AND  A  NIGHT  IN  A  FOREST. 

1HAD  one  brother  who  had  left  home  at  an  early  age, 
and  from  whom  we  had  not  heard  for  six  or  seven  years. 
At  length  we  received  a  letter  from  a  lady  in  Buffalo, 
stating  that  my  brother  was  seriously  afflicted  with  the 
hip  complaint  and  in  indigent  circumstances;  that  she 
had  interested  herself  on  his  behalf  until  she  could 
hear  from  his  friends.  The  next  day  after  receiving  the 
letter,  I  was  on  my  way  to  find  my  brother.  That 
was  in  the  latter  part  of  October,  1837.  I  went  to 
Buffalo,  where  I  soon  found  him,  and  after  compensating 
the  lady  for  her  trouble,  I  had  him  removed  to  a  hotel 
until  I  could  find  some  way  of  transporting  him  up  the 
lake.  Finding  a  schooner  that  was  going  part  way,  and 
would  land  near  the  mouth  of  the  Grand  River,  I  de 
termined  to  get  my  brother  on  board  and  take  chances  of 
getting  him  from  there  by  land.  His  condition  was  such 
that  he  could  only  be  moved  on  a  bed  or  stretcher. 
Well,  I  got  him  on  board  in  the  forenoon,  and  we  were  to 
sail  the  next  day.  The  schooner  lay  at  the  wharf  in  Buf 
falo  Creek;  the  weather  for  the  time  of  year  was  calm 
and  pleasant,  a  breeze  being  scarcely  perceptible.  The 
sky  was  clear,  the  sun  shone  brightly,  and  everything 
looked  fair  for  a  prosperous  trip.  But  about  two  o'clock 
P.  M.  the  water  commenced  rising  in  the  creek,  and  a 
mighty  tide  seemed  pouring  in  from  Lake  Erie;  it  soon 
crept  up  on  Lighthouse  Point,  nearly  covering  the  sea 
wall,  which  at  that  time  was  but  partially  constructed, 
and  the  water  in  the  creek  raised  until  it  was  nearly  up 
3 


26  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


to  the  top  of  the  wharf.  From  the  northwest  the  fleecy 
clouds  could  be  seen  coming  up  and  skurrying  along  high 
in  the  heavens  with  the  speed  of  a  war-horse,  accom- 
p  inied  by  a  low,  roaring,  or  moaning  sound  in  the  air. 

We  had  an  experienced  captain  on  our  little  craft, 
who  seemed  to  comprehend  what  the-signs  of  the  times 
predicted.  He  ordered  the  moorings  to  be  made  more 
secure  by  stanchions,  and  as  the  water  continued  to  rise 
he  had  several  spars  run  down  perpendicularly  between 
the  schooner  and  the  wharf,  and  firmly  lashed  to  the 
vessel  above,  so  as,  in  case  of  emergency,  to  prevent  its 
passing  over  the  wharf;  and  this  foresight  saved  us. 
Presently  the  wind  came  on  in  fitful  gusts  constantly 
increasing  in  frequency  and  violence;  and  ere  the  sun 
was  below  the  horizon  a  thick  gloom  and  darkness  per 
vaded  everything,  while  a  regular  tornado  was  raging 
with  such  force  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  one  to 
keep  his  feet  even  when  supported  by  the  stays  of  the 
vessel.  The  waves  seemed  to  be  lifted  by  the  fury  of 
the  wind  from  the  surface  of  the  boiling  flood  and  dashed 
in  spray  upon  surrounding  objects,  while  on  the  land, 
church  tovversand  building  roofswere  whirled  through  the 
air  like  feathers.  Ere  darkness  had  closed  in  upon  the 
scene,  Buffalo  Point  had  entirely  disappeared  beneath  the 
flood,  and  the  waves  of  Lake  Erie  rushed  in  upon  the  city. 
The  storm  increased  until  midnight,  carrying  a  general 
wreck  and  ruin  with  it,  a  perfect  devastation  marking  its 
track.  From  Buffalo  Point  there  were  eleven  residences 
washed  out,  and  as  the  water  commenced  receding, 
floated  out  of  Buffalo  Creek  and  down  the  Niagara  Falls. 
In  these  houses  alone  it  was  estimated  that  over  sixty 
persons  perished.  Eight  or  ten  canal  boats  broke  from 


COLONEL  L..A.  NORTON.  27 


their  moorings  and  went  out  into  the  Niagara  River, 
and  thence  over  the  falls.  The  next  morning  almost 
the  entire  shipping  that  lay  in  the  creek  at  the  com 
mencement  of  the  storm  lay  high  and  dry  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  city.  One  brig  lay  with  its  bowsprit  sticking 
through  an  upper  window  of  a  two-story  house — the  bow 
resting  against  the  house  while  the  stern  was  on  the 
ground.  The  entire  lower  part  of  the  city  was  strewn 
with  boxes,  barrels,  bales  of  goods,  and  furniture  of 
every  description;  nuts  and  fruits  were  spread  out  in 
abundance,  the  water  during  the  night  having  been 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  above  its  ordinary  level. 
Thanks  to  the  foresight  of  our  captain,  the  spars  that 
were  placed  on  our  boat  kept  us  on  the  right  side  of  the 
wharf,  and  the  next  morning  found  us  in  deep  water  and 
all  right. 

The  storm  began  to  lull  about  midnight  and  by  morn 
ing  had  entirely  abated,  and  at  noon  the  lake  had  rocked 
itself  to  sleep.  There  was  just  sufficient  breeze  to  leave 
a  smile  on  its  silver  lips.  Nor  would  you  have  supposed 
that  such  a  passion  as  had  raged  in  its  breast  during  the 
night  could  ever  have  so  distorted  its  placid  brow.  But 
'tis  ever  thus.  Deception  is  found  everywhere,  in  nature 
as  well  as  in  art.  And  frequently  that  which  we  most 
admire  is  the  first  to  wound.  We  loosed  from  our  moor 
ings,  and,  with  a  light  breeze,  made  the  best  of  our  way 
for  Port  Dover,  on  the  Canada  shore,  which  place  we 
reached  the  second  day  in  the  evening. 
*  I  tried  to  hire  a  conveyance  to  take  my  brother  home, 
a  distance  of  about  fifty  miles  by  the  lake  shore,  but 
over  seventy-five  miles  by  the  main  road.  The  roads 
were  next  to  impassable  for  a  team;  the  mud  had  frozen 


28  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


but  not  sufficiency  hard  to  form  a  firm  crust.  •'  The 
horses  would  break  through  and  cut  their  legs,  and  in 
places  the  wagon  wheels  would  also  break  through. 
No  one  could  be  induced  to  turn  out,  for  love  or  money. 
The  consequence  was  I  was  compelled  to  ^o  home, 
where  friendship  would  insure  what  money  could  not 
buy.  To  follow  the  wagon  road  I  would  be  compelled 
to  go  north  to  Talbot  Street,  which  would  be  at  least 
twenty-five  miles  farther  than  to  follow  up  the  lake  shore- 
Consequently  I  resolved  to  take  it  on  foot  up  the  lake 
shore,  and,  getting  my  brother  settled,  I  "  struck  out." 

I  got  started  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  travel 
ing  some  of  the  way  by  trail  and  sometimes  by  wagon 
road,  through  a  new  and  sparsely  settled  country  of  dense 
forests  and  small  clearings.  Along  in  the  afternoon  I 
fell  in  with  an  old  pioneer  of  the  country,  who  told  me 
that  I  would  arrive  about  night-fall  at  a  certain  small  log- 
house,  and  that  I  must  stay  all  night  there,  as  that  would 
be  the  List  house  and  clearing  for  fourteen  miles,  and 
that  there  was  no  road  but  a  very  faint  trail,  as  during 
the  summer  there  was  a  beach  upon  which  all  the  travel 
was  turned,  but  which,  during  the  fall,  was  washed  away. 
"But,"  I  said,  "perhaps  he  will  not  keep  me."  His 
reply  was,  "  He  must  keep  you,  for  you  could  not  make 
it  in  the  night.  You  would  break  your  neck  over  a  prec 
ipice,  if  nothing  else."  I  parted  with  the  old  man  and 
continued  my  tramp,  arriving  at  the  log-hut,  in  a  small 
clearing,  just  as  the  sun  was  setting'. 

It  was  clear,  cold,  and  frosty.  I  stepped  to  the  door 
and  asked  the  man  for  lodging  for  the  night.  He  re 
plied  that  he  could  not  keep  me.  At  that  age  I  was 
very  diffident.  I  was  about  turning  from  the  door  when 


s* 

COLONEL  I,  A.  NORTWJ.N  29 

>>.          fill   l*»<M>t||4.  ^>S 


my  situation  rushed  vividly  upon  me,  and  I  asked, 
"Could  you  not  allow  me  to  sleep  on  your  floor?" 
He  replied,  "  No,  I  have  potatoes  on  the  floor."  I  said, 
"  I  am  told  that  it  is  fourteen  miles  through  the  forest, 
and  no  road, 'and  such  a  cold  night  as  this  I  may  perish 
in  the  woods."  He  replied  that  he  could  not  be  ac 
countable  for  that,  but  that  he  thought  I  could  get 
through.  I  then  asked  him  if  he  could  not  let  me  have 

o 

a  few  matches.  His  reply  was  that  he  had  no  matches. 
So  I  turned  into  the  woods  on  a  dim  trail;  but  as  soon 
as  I  had  got  into  the  thick  forest,  and  darkness  set  in,  I 
lost  the  trail,  and  could  only  keep  my  direction  by  skirt 
ing  the  lake  shore  when  I  could  see  openings  through 
the  trees.  However,  I  soon  found  myself  in  windfalls, 
brush,  and  briers,  the  small  brush  constantly  coming  in 
contact  with  my  face  and  eyes.  My  flesh  and  clothes 
were  torn  by  brambles  while  clambering  over  logs,  or 
feeling  my  way  up  and  down  precipitous  gulches,  aiding 
myself  by  clinging  to  brush  and  roots. 

As  I  had  no  means  of  making  a  fire,  I  dared  not  lie 
down  to  wait  for  morning,  but  pursued  my  toilsome 
march.  Exhausted  by  fatigue  and  chilled  by  frost,  I 
still  traveled  on  until  I  came  upon  a  stream  about  a 
hundred  feet  wide.  This  brought  me  to  a  stand.  It  was 
now,  as  near  as  I  could  judge,  about  midnight.  I  crept 
along  up  the  stream  in  hopes  of  finding  it  narrow,  and 
perchance  a  log  upon  which  I  could  cross.  But  I  could 
find  nothing  of  the  kind,  and  discovered  that  I  must 
either  wade  or  swim  across.  I  got  hold  of  a  strong 
pole,  and  feeling  the  bottom  with  it,  waded  in.  Fort 
unately  I  did  not  have  to  swim,  but  found  it  in  the  deep 
est  place  a  little  more  than  waist  deep. 


30  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

After  reaching  the  opposite  shore  I  climbed  a  pre 
cipitous  bank  and  continued  my  journey.  I  found  the 
woods  a  little  more  open,  and  consequently  fewer  ob 
structions.  But  now  the  wolves  set  up  such  a  howl,  as 
though  ten  thousand  devils  had  broken  loose.  They 
seemed  to  be  but  a  little  distance  from  me.  (These 
wolves  are  of  the  large  gray  kind,  but  they  seldom 
attack  a  man,  unless  in  depth  of  winter,  when  the  snow 
is  deep  and  they  are  nearly  starved.)  I  continued  to 
make  my  way  as  fast  as  the  rough  condition  of  the  coun 
try  and  my  exhausted  strength  would  permit,  for  about 
two  hours,  when  I  came  to  another  stream  similar  to  the 
one  already  described.  I  crossed  it  as  before.  There 
was  a  small  open  flat  on  the  west  side  of  the  stream, 
and  looking  down  towards  the  lake  I  saw  a  light.  Oh, 
blessed  sight! 

I  made  my  way  down  to  the  lake,  where  I  found  that 
there  was  a  narrow  beach  and  some  men  fishing.  They 
stared  at  me  at  first  as  though  I  were  some  apparition 
or  goblin  from  the  forest.  Their  conduct  was  so  strange 
that  I  was  really  afraid  of  them.  I  merely  asked  them 
about  what  time  of  the  night  it  was,  and  how  far  before 
I  would  come  to 'a  house.  They  informed  me  that  it 
was  about  two  miles  to  a  house,  and  about  two  o'clock 
at  night.  I  asked  them  if  they  would  let  me  have  a 
brand  of  fire,  which  they  did.  I  went  on  about  half  a 
mile,  kindled  a  fire,  upon  which  I  piled  a  lot  of  drift 
wood,  and  stretched  myself  alongside  of  it  in  the  sand, 
and  was  soon  asleep.  I  awoke  about  sunrise.  My  fire 
had  burned  down,  and  I  found  myself  very  cold.  My 
clothes  next  to  the  fire  were  dry,  but  on  the  opposite 
side  were  frozen  stiff.  I  replenished  my  fire,  thawed 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  31 

myself  out,  and  pursued  my  journey;  called  at  a  farm 
house,  where  I  got  some  breakfast,  and  reached  home 
before  I  slept.  We  started  a  team  out  the  next  morn 
ing,  and  within  four  days  my  brother  arrived  home. 
For  the  first  few  weeks  he  seemed  to  improve,  but  his 
disease  was  of  such  a  character  that  there  was  no  chance 
for  a  recovery,  and  he  lived  but  a  few  weeks. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE   CANADIAN    REBELLION  OF  1837. 

T)  EFORE  leaving  home  in  search  of  my  brother  Clark, 
Jj  I  had  enrolled  myself  as  a  minute-man,  to  turn  out 
with  the  Patriot  forces;  or,  in  other  words, in  the  rebellion 
against  the  British  Government.  The  arrest  of  Lount 
and  Mathews  at  Toronto  had  forced  the  rebellion,  and 
on  the  twelfth  day  of  November,  1837,  we  were  called 
out  to  form  a  company  under  Joshua  Done,  to  be  known 
as  the  "  Spartan  Rangers."  We  assembled  at  the  village 
of  Sparta,  in  the  town  of  Yarmouth,  where  we  organized, 
choosing  Joshua  Done  as  our  captain,  and  at  once  com 
menced  our  march  for  Otter  Creek  (a  village  of  Rich 
mond).  Here  we  encamped  for  the  night,  and  stationed 
our  sentinels.  Of  course  we  were  but  crudely  armed, 
our  arms  consisting  of  rifles,  shot  guns,  old  muskets  and 
pistols,  knives,  swords,  and  dirks.  We  had  no  drill  or 
discipline.  We  were  perfectly  raw,  and  I  do  not  believe 
that  there  was  a  man  in  the  entire  company  who  even 
understood  the  manual  of  arms.  Yet  we  were  informed 
that  we  were  marching  out  to  meet  an  enemy  drilled 


32  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  disciplined.  And  I  never  shall  forget  what  I  suf 
fered  in  mind,  for  twenty-four  hours  after  my  enlistment, 
for  fear  that  I  would  be  a  coward,  and  would  not  be  able 
to  keep  my  legs  from  running  away  with  me  at  the  first 
fire. 

News  came  in  during  the  night  that  the  enemy  had 
rallied  quite  a  force  and  were  tearing  up  the  bridge  on 
Otter  Creek,  and  intended  to  meet  us  there  in  the  morn 
ing.  We  sent  out  some  scouts,  however,  and  a  guard  to 
protect  the  bridge.  The  next  morning  we  commenced 
our  march,  crossing  the  bridge  without  opposition,  and 
had  marched  a  couple  of  miles  beyond  it  when  we  were 
fired  upon  from  ambush.  A  ball  pretty  well  spent 
struck  me  in  the  muscles  of  the  back,  just  grazing  the 
spine.  The  enemy  had  waited  until  we  had  passed,  be 
fore  firing.  I  forgot  my  wound,  and,  with  the  others, 
rushed  into  the  woods  pell-mell,  firing  at  the  twenty-five 
or  thirty  fellows  who  had  ambushed  us. 

When  the  skirmish  was  over  I  was  the  most  delighted 
fellow  you  ever  saw — my  legs  had  not  run  away  with 
me.  My  wound  proved  not  to  be  serious,  and  I  con 
tinued  my  march  the  entire  day.  At  night  we  arrived 
at  Norwich,  where  we  met  Doctor  Duncombe  and  his 
forces,  who  informed  us  that  they  were  retreating  before 
a  superior  enemy,  led  by  Sir  Allen  McNabe;  that  we 
would  move  on  to  Dorchester  Pines,  and  would  there 
make  a  stand,  where  the  enemy  could  not  play  upon  us 
with  their  artillery.  We  got  some  food,  rested  for  an 
hour,  and  again  took  up  our  line  of  march.  We  went 
through  the  pines,  and  encamped  for  the  balance  of  the 
night  at  a  little  place  called  Sodom. 

The  next  morning,  when  I  awoke,  our  command  had 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  33 

disappeared,  and  I  found  myself  comparatively  alone. 
I  saw  some  notices  posted,  which  were  to  the  effect  that 
a  superior  force  was  upon  us,  too  formidable  for  us  to 
attempt  to  cope  with,  and  advising  every  man  to  look 
out  for  himself.  There  was  a  young  man  by  the  name 
of  Benjamin  T.  Smith  who  was  a  great  comrade  of 
mine.  We  met  and  consulted  as  to  what  was  best  to 
do.  My  wound  had  become  swollen  and  quite  painful, 
as  nothing  had  been  done  by  way  of  extracting  the 
bullet  from  my  back.  But  after  moving  around  for  a 
time  the  pain  became  somewhat  allayed.  At  length 
Smith  and  I  made  up  our  minds  to  retain  our  arms  and 
boldly  make  for  home.  After  Duncombe's  cowardly  act 
of  disbanding  his  forces  the  Tories  of  the  country  took 
heart  and  were  making  arrests  right  and  left. 

The  snow  was  about  eight  inches  deep,  hence  it  was 
desirable  to  take  the  road,  and  we  accordingly  took  up 
our  line  of  march  for  Durham  Forge.  We  had  ad 
vanced  but  about  three  miles,  when  I  saw  the  glitter  of 
arms  in  advance  of  us,  moving  in  our  direction.  Evi 
dently  we  had  not  been  discovered,  so  .we  stepped  out 
side  of  the  road  into  the  brush,  and  presently  an  armed 
squad  passed  by.  When  they  had  passed  out  of  sight, 
we  again  pursued  our  journey,  and  had  made  some  ten 
or  twelve  miles  when  we  arrived  at  Squire  Dobie's. 
The  house  stood  close  to  the  road,  and  as  we  passed 
the  door  out  sprang  three  men,  all  with  arms  in  hand, 
and  exclaimed,  "  We  know  you,  you  are  some  of  Dun- 
combe's  rebels.  Surrender  or  we  will  blow  the  tops  of 
your  heads  off! "  In  an  instant  both  our  rifles  covered 
them.  I  said,  "But  raise  a  muzzle  and  you  are  dead 
men."  They  replied,  "  WTe  will  have  you  before  you 
go  a  mile!" 


34  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

We  pushed  on  and  had  advanced  through  alternate 
woods  and  fields  for  about  three  miles,  when  I  heard  a 
great  clatter  of  hoofs  behind  us.  I  turned  and  saw  a 
squad  of  horsemen  rapidly  advancing  upon  us.  We 
immediately  left  the  road,  and  as  we  were  mounting  the 
fence  to  take  to  the  woods,  they  fired  a  volley  at  us,  one 
of  the  bullets  coming  in  very  close  contact  with  my  skull, 
having  just  grazed  my  head  and  passed  through  my 
cap.  We  discharged  our  pieces  at  them  and  took  to 
the  woods,  I  minus  my  cap,  which  had  fallen  on  the 
wrong  side  of  the  fence.  Ben  loaned  me  his  handker 
chief,  which  answered  the  double  purpose  of  staunching 
the  blood  and  making  a  covering  for  my  head.  We 
found  it  would  no  longer  answer  to  keep  the  road,  so  we 
steered  through  the  forest  for  Otter  Creek. 

In  the  middle  of  the  day  the  snow  had  thawed  on 
the  top,  but  when  the  sun  went  down,  it  had  frozen 
such  a  crust  that  at  each  step  it  would  break  under  foot 
and  crack  like  the  report  of  a  pistol.  We  took  our 
course  by  the  stars  and  continued  our  tramp  until  late 
in  the  night,  when  we  came  to  a  house  which  we  en 
tered,  weapons  in  hand.  We  aroused  the  family,  whom 
we  discovered  to  be  loyalists,  and  demanded  something 
to  eat.  We  got  a  cold  lunch  and  warmed  ourselves  by 
a  log  fire.  The  man  exhibited  the  Queen's  proclama 
tion  offering  a  free  pardon  to  all  who  had  been  engaged 
in  this  "  unnatural  rebellion,"  and  had  not  been  guilty 
of  arson  or  murder,  if  they  would  lay  down  their  arms 
and  return  peaceably  to  their  homes.  I  took  the  procla 
mation,  and  we  continued  our  journey,  following  a  road 
which  they  said  led  to  Richmond. 

J3ut  we  soon   discovered  that  the  road   was  patrolled, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  35 

and  we  once  more  took  to  the  woods,  and  after  a  time 
we  came  to  another  clearing.  The  moon  was  shining 
brightly,  and,  on  a  distant  rise  of  ground,  we  could  see 
a  village,  and  men  moving  about  very  actively.  There 
was  a  stream  before  us,  a  saw-mill  and  a  mill-pond,  with 
saw-logs  frozen  in  the  ice.  We  managed  to  cross  the 
stream  on  the  logs,  and  on  the  side  to  which  we  crossed 
there  was  a  band  of  colts.  In  order  to  shield  ourselves 
from  observation  we  drove  them  ahead  of  us  until  we 
reached  a  little  grove  of  small  pines,  which  we  entered 
for  consultation. 

Now  we  were  satisfied  that  the  place  we  saw  above 
was  on  Talbot  Street  (a  Government  road  running 
through  the  province),  but  what  was  the  town  ?  If  Rich 
mond,  we  wanted  to  cross  above  it;  if  it  was  Troy  or 
Aimer,  we  wanted  to  cross  below  it.  At  any  rate  we 
wanted  to  cross  Talbot  Street,  as  it  runs  east  and 
west,  and  we  were  making  south;  and  if  we  could  get 
across  the  road  and  into  the  Quaker  settlement,  we 
would  be  safe.  Ben  and  I  disagreed  as  to  where  we 
were.  While  thus  consulting,  there  was  a  general  rush 
and  clattering  through  the  snow's  crust  and  in  a  min 
ute's  time  our  grove  was  surrounded  by  a  band  of 
armed  men  far  too  numerous  for  us  to  cope  with.  We 
saw  at  once  that  we  would  of  necessity  be  compelled  to 
surrender,  so  we  immediately  hid  our  arms  and  walked 
out. 


36  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    VI. 

A   PRISONER   OF   WAR. 

1  FOUND  that  I  was  acquainted  with  the  militia  cap 
tain  who  was  in  command,  and  on  arriving  at  the  hotel 
I  found  old  John  Burwell,  a  cowardly,  pompous  old 
Tory  magistrate.  He  raved,  ranted,  and  charged,  de 
claring  that  he  never  would  lay  down  his  sword  until 
every  radical  was  exterminated.  I  was  suffering  very 
much,  and  succeeded  in  getting  a  bed,  when  I  went  to 
sleep  and  lay  until  about  9  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I 
now  found  my  wounds  very  much  inflamed,  and  I  was 
also  tired  out  and  hardly  able  to  get  up.  But  Smith  got 
some  hot  water  and  soap  and  to  the  best  of  his  ability 
dressed  my  wounds.  That  upon  my  head  was  a  mere 
scratch,  the  bullet  little  more  than  cutting  through  the 
skin. 

When  my  wounds  were  dressed  I  came  down-stairs, 
where  I  found  almost  our  entire  command  prisoners, 
having  been  picked  up  in  attempting  to  make  their  way 
to  their  homes;  and  in  fact  many  were  arrested  who  had 
not  turned  out  at  all.  Among  others  were  David  Stur- 
ges,  a  merchant,  and  William  Herrington,  a  tailor. 
One  had  kicked  old  John  Burwell,  and  the  other  had 
cowhided  him.  But  now  it  was  Burwell's  turn,  for,  as  a 
cruel  magistrate,  and  captain  of  the  militia,  he  almost 
held  the  power  of  life  and  death  in  his  hands  so  far  as 
these  men  were  concerned. 

I  got  myself  somewhat  strengthened  up,  had  procured 
a  hat,  and  had  improved  my  personal  appearance  by  a 
wash.  When  thus  refreshed  I  took  the  Queen's  proc- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  37 


lamation  from  my  pocket,  read  its  provisions,  and  de 
manded  my  liberty.  But  after  much  shuffling1,  backing, 
and  pulling  in  the  matter,  they  came  out  and  boldly  de 
clared  the  proclamation  to  be  a  forgery,  as  they  said,  to 
catch  rebels  with.  The  upshot  of  the  matter  was,  that 
at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  we  were  all 
marched  off  as  prisoners  to  Simcoe  jail.  The  next  day, 
after  we  were  all  lodged  in  jail,  orders  were  received  to 
not  allow  any  bail  in  the  case  of  Sturges  or  Herrington. 
Of  course,  to  them,  it  was  a  warning  blast. 

Simcoe  jail  was  a  new  building,  in  fact  the  scaffolding 
was  still  up,  and  guards  were  stationed  on  the  inside. 
They  gave  me  the  name  of  Davey  Crockett,  and  insisted 
that  Tory  bullets  would  not  penetrate  my  hide.  Al 
though  a  prisoner,  and  very  young  (having  just  entered 
my  seventeenth  year),  from  some  cause,  I  know  not  what, 
these  proscribed  men  seemed  inclined  to  place  confidence 
in  me.  They  came  to  me  and  explained  everything; 
said  their  lives  were  worth  nothing  unless  they  could 
escape,  and  that  they  could  not  escape  without  assist 
ance.  In  return,  I  told  them  that  they  could  depend 
upon  me;  that  I  would  look  around  and  see  if  any 
opportunity  offered  for  their  escape. 

Now  the  room  in  which  we  were  quartered  was  the 
court  room,  and  from  that,  in  the  shape  of  an  L,  was  a 
small  room  to  be  used  as  a  jury  room.  There  was  a  low 
trestle-work,  covered  with  boards,  where  we  slept — 
some  sleeping  below  on  the  floor,  while  others  slept  up 
on  the  boards,  stretched  out  like  a  long  table.  In  look 
ing  out  of  the  window  I  noticed  that  the  scaffolding  poles 
were  still  standing,  with  the  planks  forming  the  scaffold 
all  intact.  But  I  found  that  the  windows  were  solidly 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


fastened  in,  and  that  the  sashes  were  immovable.  I  also 
noticed  that  the  window-panes  were  about  10x16,  and 
the  idea  struck  me  of  passing  the  two  men  through  the 
sash  out  onto  the  scaffolding.  I  communicated  my  plan 
to  Sturges  and  Herrington,  but  told  them  that  I  would 
be  compelled  to  take  old  man  Blake  into  our  confidence. 
Blake  was  a  character.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he 
must  have  been  about  seventy  years  of  age,  he  seemed 
active  as  a  boy.  He  would  sing  songs,  dance,  and  create 
a  world  of  amusement.  I  approached  him,  and  found 
that  he  was  ready  to  aid  me. 

I  now  notified  Herrington  and  Sturges  of  my  plan, 
which  was  as  follows:  Blake  was  to  get  up  a  regular 
entertainment  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  prisoners 
and  guard  while  I  went  into  the  jury  room  to  break  the 
window,  and  prepare  for  their  exit.  All  worked  like  a 
charm,  with  one  exception;  there  was  a  young  fellow  a 
little  older  than  myself  lying  in  the  jury  room,  and  I 
could  not  get  rid  of  him;  hence  I  had  to  make  a  confi 
dent  of  him.  Sturges  was  a  large  man  and  I  was  com 
pelled  to  cut  the  munnion  of  the  window  to  let  him  have 
the  space  of  two  lights.  So  I  got  the  young  man  to 
pound  with  his  heels  on  the  boards,  while  I  broke 
the  glass  and  cut  the  munnion.  When  all  was  accom 
plished,  in  the  midst  of  old  man  Blake's  dancing,  I  gave 
them  the  wink,  and  in  ten  minutes  they  were  safe  out 
on  the  staging  and  slipping  down  the  staging  poles. 

They  went  to  the  stable  and  stole  their  own  horses 
and  saddles,  and  rode  them  until  they  could  go  no 
farther,  and  then  pressed  others,  on  the  plea  that  they 
were  riding  Queen's  Express.  All  that  was  necessary 
to  prove  their  loyalty  was  to  tie  some  red  ribbon  or  red 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  39 

flannel  arounc^ their  arms  and  hats.  There  was  no  tele 
graph  in  those  days,  and  they  rode  Queen's  Express 
triumphantly  out  of  the  country. 

When  the  fugitives  left  the  jail,  and  while  yet  on  the 
scaffolding,  they  advised  "  Davey  Crockett  "  to  accom 
pany  them.  I  declined,  thinking  that  as  I  was  but  a 
boy  they  would  turn  me  out.  in  a  few  days.  Delusive 
hope !  the  Tory  magistrates  called  all  the  boys  before 
them  for  examination  in  regard  to  the  escape  of  their 
leaders.  I  was  examined  among  the  others,  and  the 
most  important  query  among  the  many  was,  Who  aided 
Herrington  and  Sturges  to  escape?  It  was  evident  from 
all  the  circumstances  that  they  must  have  had  inside 
aid,  and  unfortunately  for  little  "  Davey  Crockett,"  the 
young  man  who  pounded  with  his  heels  while  "  Davey  " 
broke  the  glass,  peached. 

My  friends  had  been  mourning  me  as  dead,  as  my 
cap  had  been  shown  to  persons  who  knew  it  well,  the 
parties  who  exhibited  the  bullet  hole  in  the  cap  stating 
that  a  company  had  attempted  to  arrest  me,  but  I  had 
resisted  to  the  last,  and  was  shot  through  the  head.  So 
when  my  friends  received  a  letter  from  me,  and  learned 
that  I  was  still  alive,  they  came  immediately  and  tendered 
bail  for  my  release.  But  it  was  no  use;  bail  in  my  case 
was  refused.  The  charges  stood  thus:  I  had,  by  force 
of  arms,  resisted  arrest  at  Squire  Dobie's;  had  again 
resisted  in  the  pine  woods;  had  fired  upon  the  squad  sent 
out  to  arrest  me,  and  had  aided  and  abetted  the  escape 
of  David  Sturges  and  William  Herrington.  While  all 
under  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  were  to  be  discharged, 
the  boy  of  sixteen  was  held  a  prisoner  without  bail. 

This  made  a  kind  of  hero  of  me  in  the  eyes  of  my 


40  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


fellow-prisoners,  and  one  week  from  thaj  time  it  gave 
me  sufficient  influence  among  them,  when  we  were  about 
being  removed  from  Simcoe  jail  to  London  prison,  to  re 
sist  the  attempt  to  shackle  us.  We  insisted  that  every 
man  was  deemed  innocent  until  proved  guilty,  and  that 
we  would  go  anywhere  with  them  without  resisting  if 
our  limbs  were  left  free,  but  not  one  step  otherwise;  that 
we  would  die  with  our  limbs  free,  but  would  not  live 
with  them  shackled.  This  resolve  of  ours  created  a  dis 
cussion  between  the  guards  and  officers,  but  at  last  it 
was  settled  by  their  taking  our  parole,  and  we  went  un 
bound.  Erelong  I  discovered  by  their  maneuvering  that 
they  wanted  nothing  better  than  for  us  to  make  an 
attempt -to  escape,  that  they  might  have  an  excuse  for 
a  wholesale  slaughter.  This  was  evident  by  their  ap 
parent  carelessness  in  guard  duty,  and,  in  some  instances 
insinuating  that  we  were  fools  in  not  making  a  general 
rush  for  our  freedom.  But  no  attempt  was  made  to 
escape,  and  at  last  we  reached  our  destination. 

My  condition  was  not  different  from  evil-doers  gener 
ally.  My  reputation  followed  me  and  I  was  sent  to  the 
cells;  and  now  a  word  regarding  our  treatment.  While 
cooped  up  in  Simcoe  jail  we  had  a  large-sized  sheet-iron 
stove  (a  common  heater)  in  our  apartment  for  our  sixty 
prisoners  to  cook  their  own  rations  upon,  and  one  thin 
blanket  at  night,  and  this  in  the  midst  of  a  Canadian 
winter.  But  this  was  comfortable  when  compared  with 
our  condition  in  the  cells  of  London  prison.  When  I 
say  the  cells,  of  course  I  don't  mean  the  cells  proper. 
Each  cell  was  filled,  but  that  was  scarcely  a  beginning, 
as  there  were  over  six  hundred  prisoners  in  the  castle. 
Every  hall  was  crowded  full,  and  there  were  no  blankets 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  41 

or  other  covering  save  what  the  prisoners  had  on.  As 
to  the  floors,  they  were  filled  with  large-headed  spikes, 
the  heads  sticking  up  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
above  the  floor.  And  to  augment  our  misery,  there  was 
an  aperture  about  four  feet  wide  and  longitudinally  the 
length  of  the  building,  and  extending  to  and  through 
the  top  of  the  structure,  as  an  air  passage  to  ventilate 
the  building.  In  this  condition  we  were  kept  for  more 
than  a  month,  when  we  received  a  supply  of  blankets; 
that  is  to  say,  each  man  received  a  blanket,  and  our  con 
dition  was  further  improved  by  many  of  the  men  in  the 
cells  being  removed.  Some  were  released  on  bail,  while 
others  were  removed  to  upper  and  more  comfortable 
rooms.  This  so  reduced  our  number  that  we  who  re 
mained  in  the  cells  were  enabled  to  crowd  into  the  cells 
proper,  where  we  could  enjoy  bunks  and  yet  have  the 
privilege  of  the  hall. 

About  this  time  occurred  a' circumstance  that  much 
added  to  my  comfort.  One  year  before  I  had  resided  a 
short  time  in  London,  where  I  made  the  acquaintance  of 
three  ladies,  sisters,  one  single  and  two  married.  I  made 
the  acquaintance  of  the  two  elder  sisters  through  the 
younger,  as  she  and  I  had  become  acquainted  and  were 
on  terms  of  mutual  friendship.  They  were  all  estimable 
ladies.  The  eldest  married  a  merchant  named  O'Brien, 
and  the  next  one  also  married  a  merchant,  by  the  name  of 
Olvero  Ladd,  and  my  little  friend  had  in  the  meantime 
married  Samuel  Parks,  the  jailer.  The  Tories  had  also 
imprisoned  Olvero  Ladd,  on  suspicion  of  treason,  and 
thus  Mrs.  Parks'  attention  was  drawn  to  me.  She  still 
proved  to  be  a  good  and  true  friend,  and  as  long  as  I 
could  get  the  privilege  of  the  hall  I  was  all  right,  as 
4 


42  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

there  was  a  diamond  hole  through  to  the  kitchen,  through 
which  Mrs.  Parks  was  in  the  habit  of  slipping  pro 
visions  and  delicacies,  as  also  candles,  matches,  and 
Yankee  newspapers,  with  many  a  caution  not  to  let  the 
turnkeys  catch  me.  This  went  on  until  my  friends  at 
home  came  to  visit  me,  when  they  made  such  strong 
appeals  in  my  behalf  that  I  was  removed  to  the  room 
above,  which,  however,  did  not  agree  \vith  my  taste. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THRILLING   INCIDENTS   OF   PRISON   LIFE. 

THE  authorities  had  now  organized  a  Board  of  Ex 
aminers  (we  called  it  the  "  pecking  machine  "),  which 
consisted  of  four  magistrates  and  the  lawyers,  who  sat 
every  day  and  had  prisoners  brought  before  them  for  ex 
amination.  For  nearly  two  weeks  I  was  brought  before 
the  Board  daily.  At  first  I  attempted  to  play  the  fool, 
and  would  answer  their  questions  just  as  it  happened, 
or  as  thoughts  would  strike  me,  without  rhyme  or  reason. 
I  continued  this  course  for  three  or  four  days,  when  at 
last  one  of  the  commissioners  spoke  up  and  said,  "  Look 
here,  young  man,  we  have  your  history,  and  it  is  useless 
for  you  to  assume  to  be  a  fool.  Your  former  operations 
give  that  the  lie." 

They  continued  to  recall  and  dismiss  me  from  day  to 
day,  but  at  length  they  changed  their  tactics,  and  pat 
ronizingly  said  to  me:  "  You  are  very  young,  and  have 
doubtless  been  led  into  this  by  men  that  are  now  enjoy 
ing  their  liberty,  while  you  are  here  lying  in  prison. 
Now  all  we  ask  of  you  is  to  disclose  the  names  of  your 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  43 

leaders  and  you  will  be  released.  Do  you  not  know 
Jake  Beamer,  or  Finly  Malcolm  ?  "  and  many  others  that 
they  named. 

At  last  I  got  out  of  patience,  and  turned  upon  them 
and  said:  "  Yes,  I  am  very  young,  perhaps  too  young;  for 
I  have  not  lived  long  enough  to  learn  to  turn  traitor  to 
my  friends.  And  what  I  know,  will  never  benefit  you, 
for  before  I  would  betray  one  of  my  unfortunate  com 
panions,  to  use  the  language  of  another,  "  I  would  lie 
here  until  the  vermin  should  carry  me  through  the  key 
hole."  Upon  this  retort,  one  of  the  Board  exclaimed, 
"  Let  that  fellow  go  back  where  he  came  from."  I  said, 
"Thank  you,  gentlemen;  then  I  shall  soon  be  in  the 
State  of  New  York."  "  No,"  he  exclaimed,  "  we  mean 
to  your  room,  and  give  us  no  more  of  your  insolence, 
sir,  or  you  will  go  to  the  cells."  I  quietly  asked,  "Can 
you  get  me  any  lower  than  the  cells  ?  "  The  reply  was, 
•''  Remember  this,  your  life  depends  upon  your  future 
conduct."  I  said,  "  I  have  one  consolation,  however: 
you  arc  mean  understrappers,  and  can  neither  take  my 
life  nor  save  it !  "  They  little  knew  what  a  boon  they 
were  conferring  when  they  sent  me  to  the  cells,  where  I 
could  get  something  fit  to  eat,  from  Mrs.  Park's  kitchen. 

But  the  next  time  my  friends  came  there  was  another 
tearful  petition  went  before  the  commissioners  to  release 
me  from  the  cells.  Their  petition  prevailed  and  I  was 
again  sent  to  my  room.  By  this  time  my  wound  had 
healed,  and  I  was  as  lively  and  active  as  a  cat — a  tall, 
slender  boy,  height  nearly  six  feet,  and  weight  one 
hundred  and  thirty  pounds. 

We  used  to  indulge  in  all  kinds  of  athletic  sports  for 
exercise.  We  had  a  regular  caravan;  each  had  the  name 


44  LIFE -AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

of  some  animal.  I  was  the  great  anaconda,  because, 
they  said,  I  could  tie  myself  in  a  knot.  At  this  time  I 
had  been  a  prisoner  about  three  months,,  and  prison  life 
had  no  terrors  for  me.  And  here  I  would  say,  by  way 
of  parenthesis,  that  after  one  month  a  man  will  be  as 
content  in  jail  as  anywhere,  and  jail  life  has  no  further 
terrors  for  him.  After  becoming  thoroughly  accustomed 
to  it  myself,  it  used  to  amuse  me  hugely  to  see  new 
prisoners  come  in.  They  would  rant  and  tear  around, 
kick  the  door,  curse  the  turnkeys,  and  raise  a  general 
rumpjs  for  the  first  two  weeks  of  their  prison  life,  when 
they  would  invariably  have  a  sick  spell.  Recovering 
from  that,  they  would  strengthen  up  and  lapse  into  a 
passive  state. 

Thus  things  ran  along.  The  prison  became  less 
crowded,  many  having  been  tried,  and  either  convicted 
and  banished  to  the  penal  colonies,  hung,  or  acquitted. 
Our  food  was  so  meager  that  had  it  not  been  for  aid  from 
friends,  and  the  privilege  of  purchasing  what  we  got  by 
way  of  notions,  it  would  scarcely  have  sustained  life. 
Each  man  was  entitled  to  eight  ounces  of  meat  per  day, 
and  one  pound  of  bread.  But  contractors  wereas  rascally 
then  as  now,  and  the  meat  was  saved  up  for  outsiders, 
while  enormous  bones  were  weighed  out  to  the  prisoners. 
And  as  for  bread,  the  stuff  furnished  us  was  a  burlesque 
upon  the  name  of  bread.  All  the  wheat  in  Upper  Can 
ada  in  the  fall  of  1836,  owing  to  the  long-continued  rains 
about  harvest-time,  had  sprouted  in  the  fields,  not  mly 
that  which  was  in  stack,  but  also  wheat  standing  in  the 
fields.  Some  of  the  sprouts  were  from  one  to  two  inches 
long.  After  the  rains  were  over,  this  grain  was  dried 
and  threshed,  generally  for  feed;  but  it  was  deemed 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  45 

good  enough  to  grind  and  make  bread  of  for  rebels. 
We  could  break  a  loaf  of  our  bread  in  two,  and  one  man 
take  one-half  of  it  and  another  take  the  other  half  and 
walk  apart,  and  it  would  make  a  rope  twenty  feet  in 
length. 

I  remember  on  one  occasion  that  we  took  a  loaf  of 
bread,  broke  it  open  and  elongated  it  for  about  ten  feet; 
then  we  tied  a  lot  of  bones  together,  decked  them  out 
with  red  flannel  strings  a^  evidence  of  their  loyalty,  and 
hung  them  from  the  window  fronting  a  public  square, 
where  all  might  see  them.  Among  the  more  humane 
citizens,  even  of  the  Tory  party,  they  created  quite  a 
sensation.  We  claimed  that  it  was  unhealthful,  and  it 
was  submitted  to  a  Board  of  Physicians,  who  decided 
that  the  bread  was  perfectly  healthful,  but  not  fit  to  eat; 
that  it  might  do  for  hogs  to  masticate,  but  not  for  men. 
The  effect  was  that  we  were  served  with  a  little  better 
quality  of  bread.  Those  who  were  able  to  purchase 
supplies  did  so,  and  those  who  had  neither  money  nor 
friends  were  helped  to  a  more  bountiful  supply  by  tak 
ing  the  rations  of  those  who  could  purchase  food. 

And  food  was  not  the  only  thing  that  was  purchased; 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  paying  the  turnkeys  to  smug 
gle  in  liquor,  the  effect  of  which  finally  resulted  in  a  disas 
trous  row.  One  afternoon  some  of  the  prisoners  sent  out 
and  had  a  twelve-quart  pail  full  of  whisky  brought  in  in 
stead  of  water,  and  before  night  some  of  them  got  pretty 
"mellow."  We  had  a  violin  in  the  room,  and  a  very  good 
violinist.  The  music  was  started  up,  and  dancing  com 
menced,  and  everything  was  jubilant.  The  dancing  was 
continued  until  after  nine  o'clock  at  night,  when  they 
were  notified  to  stop,  but  this  they  declined  doing.  The 


46  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


musician  refused  to  nlay  longer  for  fear  they  would  take 
his  violin  from  him.  Stephen  Bronger,  a  young  English 
man,  who  felt  pretty  merry,  handed  the  violinist  his 
watch  to  indemnify  him  in  case  his  fiddle  should  be 
taken  from  him.  Then -"the  ball"  went  on  again. 

In  a  short  time  the  janitor  came  up  with  a  ser 
geant's  guard,  with  guns  and  bayonets.  The  prisoners 
instantly  formed  in  front  of  the  music,  each  man  seizing 
a  billet  of  wood.  The  guns  and  bayonets  were  unwieldy 
in  the  room,  so  they  were  ordered  out  and  in  a  few  min 
utes  the  guards  returned  with  their  bayonets  in  their 
hands,  in  charge  of  a  captain.  The  prisoners  again  took 
their  position,  and  the  soldiers  also  formed  in  line,  and 
the  skirmish  began.  Alexander  Nealy,  one  of  the  pris 
oners,  happened  to  be  fronting  the  little  English 
captain;  he  had  an  iron  fire  poker,  which  the  captain 
ordered  him  to  lay  down.  Nealy  refused  and  placed 
himself  in  an  attitude  of  defense,  when  the  captain 
made  a  pass  with  his  sword  and  gave  Nealy  a  very  severe 
scalp  wound.  Before  the  captain  could  recover  his 
guard,  Nealy  dealt  him  a  terrific  blow  on  the  head  with 
the  poker,  which  felled  him  like  a  beef.  Nealy  sprang 
upon  the  captain  like  a  tiger,  and  would  have  dispatched 
him  had  I  not  sprang  in  and  interfered.  I  had  not 
drank  any  liquor,  hence  I  was  sober  and  did  not  take 
any  hand  in  the  row  until  my  interference  was  necessary 
to  save  life.  The  boys  had  driven  the  soldiers  back  to 
the  prison  entrance,  but  Sam  Parks,  the  jailer,  had  got 
through  the  ranks  and  was  making  for  the  violin,  when 
Bronger  discovered  his  object.  They  were  both  tall, 
powerful  men;  Parks  prided  himself  on  being  the  best 
man  in  the  country,  but  he  found  his  full  match  in 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  47 

Bronger.  They  both  seized  the  fiddle  about  the  same 
time,  and  a  more  lively  rough-and-tumble  I  have  seldom 
witnessed.  They  finally  broke  the  fiddle  in  two;  Sam 
had  the  drum,  and  Bronger  had -the  neck,  strings,  and 
bow. 

Hostilities  ceased  as  by  common  consent  They 
picked  up  the  captain  and  helped  him  out,  and  when  all 
was  settled  down  they  returned  and  arrested  Bronger 
with  his  half  of  the  fiddle  (which  he  still  retained),  and 
a  few  others  whom  they  recognized,  in  :luding  myself, 
although  I  was  only  acting  to  stop  the  row,  as  before 
stated;  yet  in  the  excitement  I  was  mistaken  for  one  of 
the  active  participants.  We  were  all  shoved  down  into 
the  cells,  the  most  of  us,  in  our  shirt  sleeves,  left  in 
the  hall  without  bed  or  bedding,  or  clothes  to  keep  us 
warm.  So  the  only  thing  we  could  do  was  to  make  night 
hideous,  which  we  did  to  perfection,  by  hoots,  yells,  and 
howls.  Bronger  fastened  the  fiddle  strings  to  the  finger 
board,  stuck  a  jack-knife  under  them  for  a  bridge,  and 
with  the  bow  made  such  a  horrid  noise  that  no  .one  could 
sleep  in  the  lower  part  of  the  prison. 

In  this  situation  we  spent  the  night;  but  the  next 
morning  we  were  marched  back  to  our  room,  without 
any  attempt  at  further  punishment.  I  am  of  the  opin 
ion  that  they  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  they  had 
exceeded  their  duty  in  thus  assaulting  the  prisoners 
when  there  was  no  attempt  to  escape,  and  were  there- 
•  fore  quite  willing  to  let  the  matter  rest. 

When  the  prisoners  were  first  incarcerated  at  London, 
the  guards  were  all  raw  militia,  and  were  not  at  all 
acquainted  with  fire-arms,  and  through  their  awkward 
ness  several  guns  had  been  discharged  in  the  prison. 


48  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

One  gun  had  been  discharged  in  the  room  in  which  I 
wnS  confined,  and  the  ball  had  passed  directly  up  through 
the  ceiling,  or  floor  of  the  room  above;  and  the  contents 
of  another  piece  had  passed  through  a  partition  connect 
ing  two  rooms  occupied  by  prisoners.  While  we  had 
nothing  better  to  do,  with  our  knives  we  had,  from  time 
to  time,  cut  and  bored  the  door  to  our  entrance  until  we 
got  a  little  peek-hole  through,  from  one-half  to  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  turnkeys  grum 
bled  about  it,  but  that  was  all  the  good  it  did  them. 

Every  little  while  there  would  be  new  prisoners  brought 
in,  and  we  were  always  very  anxious  to  hear  from  the 
outside  world.  One  day  the  turnkey  of  our  room  had 
informed  us  that  several  wounded  prisoners  were  brought 
in  from  "  Point  O'PIay,"  where  there  had  been  a  severe 
battle  on  the  ice  (in  which  the  British  got  the  worst  of 
the  fight).  We  were  all  anxious  to  communicate  with 
them,  but  how?  At  last  some  one  suggested  the  bullet- 
hole  through  the  plaster  and  floor.  I  think  our  room 
was  about  twelve  feet  from  floor  to  ceiling.  We  had 
several  pieces  of  four-foot  lath  brought  from  the  upper 
part  or  garret  of  the  building.  We  sharpened  one  end 
of  a  lath,  split  the  small  end,  and  inserted  a  paper  on 
which  was  written  the  words,  "Ream  out  the  hole;" 
then,  by  means  of  a  high  bench,  we  were  enabled  to 
stick  the  point  of  lath  containing  the  paper  through  the 
jagged  hole  in  the  ceiling  and  upper  floor. 

The  prisoners  above  readily  took  the  hint,  and  with  a 
knife  enlarged  the  hole  to  the  size  of  an  ounce  ball, 
which  enabled  us  to  roll  a  half  sheet  of  paper  around 
the  stick  and  slip  it  up  to  them,  which  they  could  answer 
by  running  a  dispatch  back  in  the  same  manner.  This 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  49 

easy  communication  was  established  between  the  rooms, 
and  once  having  the  idea  of  communication  suggested, 
a  reaming  out  of  holes  became  the  order  of  the  day. 
The  bullet-hole  in  the  room  east  of  us  was  also  reamed 
out,  so  that  dispatches  were  sent  .back  and  forth.  Then 
up-stairs,  in  the  "  House  of  Lords,"  as  we  called  it,  there 
was  a  hall  or  large  passage  between  that  and  a  room 
east  of  them,  with  doors  opposite,  which  did  not  swing 
close  down  to  the  sills.  Two  laths  would  reach  from 
one  room  to  the  other,  and  by  attaching  them  together, 
and  a  paper  to  one  end,  communication  between  the 
rooms  was  effected  by  sliding  the  laths  back  and 
forth.  So  we  soon  had  a  perfect  postal  system  estab 
lished  between  all  the  rooms.  We  were  taken  out  about 
once  a  week,  on  top  of  the  castle,  for  exercise,  and  on 
9ur  return  to  our  rooms  we  would  occasionally  pick  up 
a  lath  and  walk  off  with  it  without  comment.  In  this 
way  we  had  no  lack  of  laths. 

But  that  was  not  the  full  extent  of  our  communica 
tion.  I  suppose  it  will  be  understood  that  the  turnkeys 
were  stationed  outside  of  our  rooms,  and  when  our 
friends  would  come  to  see  us  we  would  be  called  for  by 
name  (that  is  when  a  permit  was  granted,  which  was 
not  always  the  case),  and  an  officer  would  stand  by  to 
hear  all  that  was  said  and  see  all  that  was  done.  So  it 
was  but  very  seldom  that  anything  could  be  slipped 
from  one  to  the  other.  But  one  time  when  my  sister 
visited  me,  on  bidding  her  adieu  on  her  departure,  I  got 
her  back  turned  towards  the  officer  in  charge,  gave  her 
a  knowing  look,  and,  as  I  took  her  hand,  I  slipped  a  lit 
tle  paper  into  it  telling  her  that  she  could  come  and  talk 
at  any  time  through  the  little  hole  that  we  had  drilled 


50  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

through  the  door;  ;;nd  by  standing  close  to  the  hole  her 
body  would  cover  it,  and  papers  rolled  up  small  could 
be  easily  and  softly  exchanged.  This  she  communi 
cated  to  the  friends  of  various  prisoners,  and  one  can 
hardly  imagine  the  fidelity  with  which  all  these  secrets 
were  kept. 

After  that  we  would  hear  much  that  was  occurring 
outside,  and  our  friends  could  know  all  from  the  inside. 
A  dispatc.i  received  at  the  door  would  be  immediately 
forwarded  to  the  proper  room  and  address,  and  an  answer 
returned  to  the  messenger.  For  instance,  John  Doe, 
"  House  of  Lords,"  East  Room;  Richard  Roe,  "  House  of 
Lords,"  or  "  House  of  Commons."  Ours,  being  below, 
was  called  the  "House  of  Commons;"  that  above,  the 
"  House  of  Lords." 

Where  I  wa's  located,  in  the  "  House  of  Commons," 
the  room  was  about  eighty  feet  long  and  about  sixteen 
feet  wide,  with  several  windows  about  eighteen  inches 
wide,  with  one  single  two-inch  bar  running  up  and 
down  through  the  center.  In  hours  of  idleness  men 
must  be  thinking,  and  seeking  some  employment  or 
amusement.  So,  among  other  things,  our  boys  made 
investigations  in  regard  to  moving  the  caps  from  off 
the  window-sills,  We  soon  discovered  that  the  lower 
ends  of  the  bars  were  split  in  the  center  about  six 
inches  and  then  turned  at  right  angles,  forming  a  T 
reversed,  the  upper  end  being  passed  through  the  caps 
above  and  spiked  down  in  the  brickwork  below  with 
six-inch  spikes,  holes  having  been  punched  into  the 
split  ends  of  the  irons  for  that  purpose.  Then  a  notch 
having  been  sawed  out  of  the  window  caps  the  size  of 
the  bolt,  the  cap  was  slipped  back  and  nailed  down, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  51 

• 
holding  the  lower    end   of    the    bar.       This    had    been 

temporary  work,  and  hurriedly  done  for  the  accommo 
dation  of  the  rebel  prisoners.  Having  discovered  how 
they  were  arranged,  we  went  to  work  and  cut  around 
the  nail  heads  (the  cap  being  of  soft  white  pine),  which 
was  but  a  small  task,  when  we  could  take  the  caps  right 
up.  Then  to  hide  our  work  we  chewed  up  some  of  our 
sticky  bread  and  put  it  about  the  nail  heads,  forming  a 
kind  of  putty  that  matched  very  well  the  dirty  white 
paint. 

In  the  room  where  I  was  quartered,  there  were  two 
small  fire-places,  in  which*  were  wrought-iron  fire-dogs, 
the  ends  of  which  had  been  burned  off.  One  day  when 
we  had  one  of  the  bars  exposed  by  having  the  cap  off, 
I  took  an  andiron,  placed  the  end  of  it  in  the  notch  of 
the  bar,  and  getting  a  lever  purchase,  without  difficulty 
raised  the  bar,  the  spike  being  quite  easily  drawn  down 
from  the  brickwork.  When  I  moved  the  bar  up  a  little 
they  swung  it  into  the  room  and  it  came  right  out. 
Then  we  put  it  back  just  as  it  was  before,  and  con 
cealed  our  work;  and  in  less  than  a  week  every  bar  in 
the  room  was  loosened  and  left  for  some  future  occasion, 
but  with  very  little  prospect  of  ever  being  available  -to 
us 'for  any  purpose.  We  were  some  twenty-five  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  the  walls  being  white  would  show 
every  object  that  came  in  contact  with  them;  besides, 
there  was  a  sentinel  at  every  anide  of  the  building,  arid 
there  being  fifty  angles,  we  were  very  well  guarded. 

But  I  must  not  forget  to  notice  a  little  incident  which 
occurred  during  my  stay  in  the  "  House  of  Lords."  The 
British  officers  were  in  the  habit  of  punishing  the 
soldiers  very  severely  for  drunkenness,  and  of  course 


52  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


when  they  found  themselves  the  worse  for  liquor  they 
would  hide  away  and  sleep  it  off.  One  of  them,  on  get 
ting  pretty  full,  attempted  to  hide  himself  in  the  garret, 
or  rather  under  the  roof  of  the  castle.  Now  the  "  House 
of  Lords"  was  the  upper  rooms  of  the  castle,  above 
which  was  the  garret,  and  this  fellow  was  attempting  to 
creep  under  the  roof  immediately  above  one  of  the 
rooms,  when  he  made  a  misstep  and  came  down  on  the 
lathing  instead  of  the  joist,  and  one  leg  protruded 
through  the  ceiling.  A  regular  shower  of  plaster  came 
down  into  our  room,  and  as  we  saw  the  leg  hanging 
there,  some  of  the  boys  caught  hold  of  it  and  pulled 
the  man  down.  The  fellow  was  terribly  frightened,  and 
could  not  for  a  moment  conceive  what  had  happened  to 
him.  When  informed  that  we  had  taken  him  into  a 
rebel  camp,  he  seemed  to  have  the  impression  that  he 
was  to  be  dispatched  at  once;  but  he  was  soon  disabused 
of  that  idea,  and  finding  us  inclined  to  be  friendly,  he 
was  soon  very  much  at  home  with  us.  I  took  him 
under  my  wing,  and  in  an  hour  we  were  fast  frie.ids. 
We  played  cards  a  great  deal,  and  my  new  protege 
taught  me  a  trick  with  cards  which  he  assured  me  no 
man  in  America  could  solve,  at  the  same  time  pledging 
me  not  to  reveal  it.  And  I  never  have  found  a  man 
who  understood  the  trick.  In  the  course  of  the  after 
noon  I  made  an  arrangement  with  the  turnkey  to  let  the 
fellow  out  and  say  nothing  about  the  affair,  he  having 
become  perfectly  sober. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  53 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

FRUITLESS   EFFORTS   TO   ESCAPE. 

AS  time  passed  on  the  number  of  prisoners  became  so 
reduced  by  bail,  death,  trial,  transportation,  and  re 
movals  to  other  prisons,  that  at  last  there  were*  but  nine 
left  in  our  room.  We  were  known  as  the  "  old  stock." 
We  had  a  guard  who  had  been  attending  on  us  for  a 
long  time,  and  with  some  of  its  members  we  had  struck 
up  quite  an  acquaintance.  As  on  petition  we  were  now 
permitted  to  have  our  outside  door  chained  open  nine 
inches  for  fresh  air,  we  had  an  opportunity  to  converse 
freely.  I  had  become  quite  familiar  with  one  of  the 
guards,  and  in  the  course  of  conversation,  on  his  inquiry, 
I  told  him  my  story.  He  said  it  was  a  shame,  and  had 
he  lived  in  the  country  he  doubtless  would  be  where  I 
then  was.  He  was  an  Irishman  and  a  Catholic,  and  the 
most  of  that  class  sympathized  with  us,  He  remarked 
that  if  he  could  he  would  willingly  leave  the  door  open 
and  let  us  walk  out.  I  caught  at  it. 

It  was  a  dark,  cloudy  day,  with  a  drizzling  rain  fall 
ing.  I  said,  "You  will  be  outside  to-night  on  guard;  it 
doubtless  will  be  rainy  and  the  sentries  will  be  in  their 
boxes;  now,  sir,  here  is  a  new  English  lever  watch  worth 
at  least  sixty  dollars;  you  say  you  come  on  at  midnight 
under  our  northeast  window.  If  you  will  besnugly  stowed 
away  in  your  sentry-box  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  not  discover  us  nor  make  an  outcry,  the  watch  is 
yours. ""  He  readily  acceded  to  the  proposition.  I  gave 
him  the  watch;  we  agreed  upon  everything,  and  I  in 
formed  him  that  we  would  tear  up  blankets  to  make  a 


54  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

rope,  and  descend  from  the  window.  We  were  occupied 
all  the  afternoon  making  arrangements  for  our  flight. 
We  were  not  disappointed  regarding  the  character  of 
the  night.  It  was  intensely  dark  and  our  arrangements 
were  made  to  cross  the  south  branch  of  the  Thames 
River,  enter  a  narrow  neck  of  woods,  follow  by  a  path 
well  known  to  me  to  Westminster  Street,  and  then  south 
to  near  the  second  concession,  where  there  was  a  wood- 
chopper's  hut  in  a  bushy  by-place  on  my  uncle's  land; 
here  we  would  be  safe  until  the  search  was  over. 

At  length  the  hour  came  I  mounted  on  a  jury  table 
and  stuck  the  blanket  rope  out  of  the  window  and  com 
menced  letting  the  end  run  down  the  white  wall,  when 
bang!  went  an  old  musket  from  below,  the  ball  passing 
my  breast  and  striking  the  face  of  the  window-jamb, 
knocking  off  a  lot  of  brick  and  mortar,  which  fell  to  the 
ground  with  a  thud.  The  cry  then  came,  "  Is  he  dead  ?" 
The  reply  was,  "  Yes,  the  poor  fellow  is  dead; "  but  they 
soon  discovered  that  the  falling  body  was  but  brick  and 
mortar.  The  whole  command,  apparently,  came  lush- 
ing  up-stairs  like  a  band  of  sheep,  but  after  a  little  the 
excitement  subsided,  and  the  authorities  entered  our 
room  to  find  us  all  lying  under  the  jury  tables  "  fast 
asleep."  But  the  tell-tale  bar  and  blanket-rope  lay  on 
the  top  of  the  table. 

The  officers  began  cursing  us  for  rebels  and  ordered 
us  out.  We  crept  forth,  rubbing  our  eyes.  They  hastily 
counted  us,  but  could  make  out  but  eight.  WThere  was 
the  other?  The  officer  in  command  ordered  the  men 
to  fire  up  the  chimney,  but  the  mouth  of  the  chimney 
was  so  low,  and  the  throat  so  small,  that  it  was  impossi 
ble  to  insert  a  gun  at  the  required  angle;  but  they  unfixed 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  55 

bayonets  and  ran  them  up  the  chimneys.  In  fact,  the 
throats  of  the  chimneys  were  but  four  inches  wide,  and 
would  not  have  admitted  a  baby,  much  less  a  man.  I 
remarked  that  I  thought  if  they  wrould  count  us  more 
carefully  they  would  find  us  all  there.  We  were  im 
mediately  marched  to  the  cells,  the  officers  saying  that 
they  had  a  mind  to  "  skiver  "  us. 

They  kept  us  a  few  days  in  the  cells,  when  we  were 
taken  out  and  promoted  to  the  ''House  of  Lords,"  which 
by  this  time  was  almost  deserted,  and  the  few  tenants 
already  there,  with  our  force,  did  not  at  all  crowd  the 
room. 

There  had  been  several  attempts  to  rescue  the  prison 
ers,  on  the  part  of  a  lot  of  braggarts  that  ranged  up  and 
down  the  St.  Clair  River,  boasting  what  they  were  going 
to  do.  The  Tories  were  really  frightened,  and  were  re 
solved  that  we  should  not  be  released.  So  they  excavated 
below  the  building  in  which  we  were  confined,  and"  de 
posited  many  barrels  of  powder,  I  do  not  know  how 
many,  but  enough  to  send  us  to  glory  anyhow.  They 
covered  a  train  to  the  barracks  and  gave  public  notice 
that  if  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  rescue  us,  they 
would  fire  the  train  and  blow  us  all  up. 

I  must  say  for  a  few  days  after  this  I  was  not  anxious 
to  be  released;  but  as  time  rolled  on,  the  news  reached  us 
that  a  large  force  had  crossed  into  Canada  and  was  ad 
vancing  on  London.  Scouts  were  sent  out,  but  were  afraid 
to  go  out  of  sight  of  the  city.  They  would  retire  to  some 
secluded  place  and  ride  their  horses  until  they  would  get 
them  in  a  perfect  foam;  then  come  rushing  in  and 
report  the  rebels  surrounding  all  sides  of  the  town. 
Another  would  come  in  and  reoort  them  nearer.  At 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


56  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

last  they  got  them  within  three  miles  of  the  town,  when 
Hughey,  the  turnkey,  came  rushing  into  our  room  and 
exclaimed,  "  1  would  give  a  hundred  dollars  for  an  ax 
to  cut  clown  the  bridge  ! "  The  rebels,  he  said,  had 
taken  all  the  axes  and  hid  them.  People  were  hastily 
packing  up  and  leaving  the  city.  The  Tory  magistrates 
had  left,  and  the  report  had  gone  out  that  the  invaders 
had  proclaimed  that  if  the  prisoners  were  blown  up  that 
no  quarter  would  be  shown  to  man,  woman,  or  child; 
and  a  deputation  of  citizens  was  appointed  to  call  on 
the  commanding  officer  to  revoke  any  order  for  blowing 
up  the  castle. 

During  the  excitement,  Mrs.  O'Brien  came  rushing 
into  our  room,  and  the  moment  the  door  was  closed  be 
hind  her,  she  commenced  jumping  up  and  down,  clapped 
her  hands  and  exclaimed,  "They  are  coming!  They  are 
coming  !  They  are  coming  !  and  they  dare  not  blow  you 
up;  I've  heard  them  say  so."  The  truth  of  the  matter 
was,  that  an  unusual  number  of  Indians  had  collected 
at  Maldon,  and  the  word  went  out  that  they  were  rebels, 
and  as  the  report  traveled,  the  number  increased  until  it 
swelled  to  a  prodigious  army.  Mrs.  O'Brien  said  to  me, 
"  I  had  a  terrible  time  to  reach  you;  I  went  to  Sam  Parks 
[he  was  her  brother-in-law  and  the  jailer],  and  he  said 
that  he  dare  not  let  me  in,  that  I  must  go  to  the  sheriff, 
Colonel  Hamilton.  He  said  that  times  were  so  trouble 
some  that  I  must  go  to  the  commanding  officer,  Colonel 
Maitland;  and  he  would  not  give  his  consent.  I  then 
went  back  to  Sam  Parks,  and  told  him  that  unless  he 
let  me  in  to  see  those  poor  prisoners  I  would  make 
O'Brien  commence  a  foreclosure  suit  against  him  in  less 
time  than  twenty-four  hours.  I  did  not  like  to  do  this," 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  57 

she  said,  "  but  I  found  that  nothing  less  than  the  thumb 
screws  would  do  any  good,  and  he  knows  very  well  that 
I  have  kept  O'Brien  from  suing  him  for  the  last  year." 
"Well,"  I  said,  "what  then?"  "  O,  he  hustled  me  up 
the  back  way  and  through  the  east  room,  and  here  I  am." 

Well,  the  imaginary  army  did  not  appear,  and  as  there 
were  no  signs  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  and  a 
teamster  having  arrived  with  his  team  direct  from  Maldon, 
everybody  commenced  plying  him  with  questions  as  to 
the  position,  number,  and  equipment  of  the  rebel  army. 
The  poor  fellow  was  taken  aback,  and  could  not  for  a 
moment  imagine  what  the  people  were  after.  The 
"  rebel  army !  "  he  had  seen  none.  There  was  no  unusual 
excitement  more  ~than  that  a  large  number  of  Indians 
and  squaws  were  holding  one  of  their  annual  Festivals 
near  Maldon. 

Thus  the  bubble  had  bursted.  and  an  investigation 
proved  that  the  whole  story  had  originated  in  the  gath 
ering  of  the  Indians  for  the  green-corn  festival,  and  some 
shrewd,  patriotic  parties  had  spread  the  story  of  the  in 
vasion,  until  the  people  had  been  so  scared  that  a  hand 
ful  of  brave  spirits,  properly  led,  could  have  taken 
London. 

About  this  time  there  was  a  great  deal  of  nervousness 
and  unrest  in  the  country,  owing  to  the  excitement  and 
rumors  of  invasion  from  the  Patriot  sympathizers  on 
the  American  side  of  the  line;  and  the  Patriots  were 
ready  to  make  another  move  whenever  a  rallying  point 
should  be  indicated.  The  Scotch  were  all  rebels,  as  we 
were  called.  I  had  two  uncles  living  on  Westminster 
Street,  six  miles  from  London,  and  there  were  many 
staunch  Patriots  in  the  neighborhood;  and,  besides,  my 

5 


58  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


uncles  were  at  the  head  of  the  Scotch,  of  whom  there 
were  over  two  hundred,  all  well  armed  with  rifles,  who 
could  at  any  time  be  called  together  by  the  blast  of  an 
enormous  tin  horn.  In  fact,  my  uncle  David  had  a  large, 
dry  cellar  beneath  one  of  his  barns,  filled  with  arms  and 
munitions  of  war;  and  the  organization  was  so  perfect 
that  in  two  hours'  time  a  force  of  from  three  to  four  hun 
dred  men  could  be  called  together. 

o 

In  this  connection  I  will  introduce  a  very  remarkable 
character,  Mrs.  Anna  Burch.  She  was  my  father's  sis 
ter,  and  was,  of  course,  my  aunt.  At  the  time  of  the 
rebellion  she  was  between  thirty-five  and  forty  years  of 
age,  but  would  not  have  been  taken  for  more  than  thirty. 
She  was  of  a  very  fair  complexion,  with  auburn  hair,  and 
coal-black  eyes,  and  I  thought  her  the  prettiest  woman 
I  ever  saw.  Her  weight  was  probably  about  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty  pounds;  she  was  as  agile  as  a  cat,  brave 
as  a  lion,  and  one  of  the  finest  female  equestrians  that  I 
ever  met.  She  was,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  rebel 
spy.  She  assumed  the  character  of  a  doctress,  rode 
from  one  end  of  Upper  Canada  to  the  other,  had  a  very 
good  idea  of  the  use  of  herbs  and  simple  medicines, 
and  with  an  unusual  amount  of  shrewdness  and  daring 
she  mingled  with  all  classes  and  complexions  of  political 
creeds.  Thus  she  managed  to  be-in  possession  of  much 
valuable  information  from  both  sides.  And  what  was 
more  singular  than  all,  she  managed  for  several  months 
to  avoid  suspicion.  She  notified  many  a  Patriot  who 
was  to  be  arrested,  in  time  to  allow  him  to  escape,  and 
in  her  labors  in  the  cause  she  seemed  to  be  almost  ubiq 
uitous,  and  always  to  be  found  when  most  needed. 

One  day,  just  before  our  attempt  to  escape,  my  aunt 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  59 


visited  me,  and  while  talking  with  me,  when  the  guard's 
attention  was  drawn  for  a  moment,  she  turned  her  back 
to  the  door  where  it  was  chained  open  nine  inches,  and 
I  grasped  a  letter.  To  account  for  her  back  being  turned 
to  the  door  and  her  face  to  the  sentinel,  she  addressed 
him  and  said,  "  Did  you  speak  to  me  ?  "  At  last  they 
began  to  suspect  her,  but  were  unable  to  fasten  anything 
upon  her,  and  at  the  close  of  the  rebellion  she  lapsed 
into  a  state  of  quiet,  and  finally  spent  her  days  and  died 
at  a  ripe  old  age. 

On  reading  the  letter  which  she  had  passed  to  me  at 
the  door,  it  notified  me  that  on  a  certain  day  (I  do  not 
now  remember  the  exact  time),  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  Colonel  Maitland,  commanding  the  Thirty- 
second  Regiment,  who  was  then  guarding  London,  would 
start  on  a  march  down  the  river  to  Delaware,  and  an 
other  command,  with  a  large  supply  of  military  stores 
for  London,  would,  by  a  night's  forced  march,  reach 
London  about  six  o'clock  the  next  morning.  When 
Colonel  Maitland  should  evacuate  the  town  there  would 
be  but  thirty  raw  recruits  to  guard  the  town  from  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  until  six  o'clock  the  next  morn 
ing;  and  if  my  uncle  could  be  encouraged  to  sound  his 
trumpet,  assemble  the  Scotch  and  the  little  band  of  Pa 
triots  on  Westminster  Street,  they  could  make  a  night 
attack,  capture  London,  and  release  the  prisoners. 

It  was  a  bold  conception  for  the  woman,  but  another 
plan  struck  me.  Oh  !  how  I  wished  for  my  liberty,  if 
but  for  twelve  hours.  At  this  time  the  road  leading 
from  the  east  to  London  ran  through  what  was  known 
as  Dorchester,  or  Buckwheat  Pines.  The  road  the  sol 
diers  would  have  to  travel  passed  through  this  pinery  for 


60  LIFP:  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

seven  miles,  and  they  would  enter  the  forest  about  twelve 
o'clock  at  night,  and  get  through  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  At  about  three  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
clay  that  the  troops  were  to  leave,  I  asked  permission  to 
go  out.  There  were  guards  stationed  all  around,  and 
being  so  well  acquainted  with  Parks  and  the  turnkeys,  I 
was  permitted  to  wander  about  at  will,  sometimes  for 
an  hour  or  two.  Consequently  I  walked  boldly  out,  and 
sauntered  up-stairs  and  out  on  the  top  of  the  building, 
where  I  could  see  all  over  the  city. 

I  noticed  when  I  went  up  that  the  guards  were 
changed,  and  that  the  militia  had  taken  the  place- of  the 
regulars.  It  was  not  long  until  I  saw  the  baggage 
wagons  drive  in.  The  command  was  formed  with  the 
artillery  in  advance  and  marched  out  of  town.  Oh,  could 
I  only  escape,  what  might  I  not  do  for  my  adopted 
country!  I  knew  that  in  one  hour  or  thereabouts  the 
guard  would  be  relieved.  The  last  sentinel  was  close  to 
the  trap  that  admitted  us  to  the  roof,  and  in  my  soft 
listing  slippers  I  could  walk  close  to  the  hole  undiscov 
ered,  and  might  catch  the  countersign.  I  resolved  to 
make  the  attempt,  and  waited  until  I  heard  the  relief 
coming  long  the  hall,  when  I  crept  close  to  the  hole 
and  caught  the  countersign  without  the  least  trouble.  It 
was  quite  loudly  and  distinctly  given. 

One  point  was  gained.  I  had  the  countersign;  now  no 
time  was  to  be  lost  in  trying  to  use  it  to  my  advantage. 
I  waited  till  it  was  dark,  when  I  walked  boldly  down  the 
corridor  and  down  the  stairs  until  within  twenty  feet  of  the 
front  door.  I  could  not  see  any  sentinel.  I  watched 
for  about  fifteen  minutes,  when  I  advanced  towards  the 
door,  and  when  within  six  or  eight  feet  of  the  door  the 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  61 

sentinel  stepped  out  from  behind  a  column,  and  walking 
up  to  me  said,  "Well,  boy,  is  it  not  about  time  you  were  in 
your  room?"  I  was  taken  all  aback,  but  in  a  moment 
after  he  spoke  I  recognized  him  as  one  of  our  old  turn 
keys.  I  laughingly  remarked,  "  Well,  you  would  not 
lose  much  if  you  were  to  let  me  go."  He  said  it  would 
be  poor  policy,  when  they  had  got  me  fast  enough  to 
hang,  to  turn  me  loose.  After  a  short  time  in  light  con 
versation  of  that  nature,  I  turned  around  and  walked  up 
stairs.  But,  boy  as  I  was,  if  he  had  had  no  assistance 
at  hand,  I  would  not  have  stopped;  I  felt  that  I.  could 
disarm  him  in  a  minute,  but  in  that. case  I  should  risk 
having  the  whole  pack  onto  me  before  I  could  get  any 
further.  I  went  into  my  clen,  but  there  was  no  sleep  for 
me  that  night. 

Had  I  succeeded  in  my  efforts  to  escape,  I  would  to 
day  have  been  able  to  tell  a  more  brilliant  story,  or  else 
I  would  not  be  in  existence  at  all.  And  this  was  my 
plan:  As  before  stated,  my  uncles  were  at  the  head  of 
some  four  hundred  brave  men.  All  that  was  necessary 
to  call  them  forth  was  a  leader  and  a  reasonable  hope  of 
success.  I  should  have  made  my  way  to  my  uncles'  as 
fast  as  my  legs  could  carry  me;  aroused  the  Scotch, 
took  about  fifty  ax-men  to  the  Buckwheat  Pines  and 
felled  trees  across  the  road,  to  make  a  barrier  in  front  of 
the  soldiers.  The  road  was  cut  out  four  rods  wide,  and 
the  trees  were  very  thick.  Then  I  would  have  cut  trees 
on  both  sides  of  the  road  ready  to  fall,  with  drivers  back 
to  force  them  across  the  road.  Then  I  should  have  cut 
a  barrier  ready  to  fall  in  the  rear  to  hem  in  the  whole 
command;  and  when  they  should  have  been  hemmed  in 
by  the  barricades,  the  ax-men  could  have  hurled  the 


62  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

trees  oruto  them.  Thus  massed  as  they  would  have  been, 
there  could  be  no  escape,  and  the  riflemen  could  pour 
their  volleys  into  them. 

We  must  have  inevitably  won  an  easy  victory.  We 
could  have  marched  into  London  the  next  morning, 
and  taken  it  without  firing  a  gun.  And  such  a  vic 
tory  as  we  could  have  won  there,  with  the  ammu 
nition  and  supplies,  would  have  given  us  the  principal 
city,  with  vast  military  stores,  and  would  have  enabled 
us,  with  the  forces  we  could  command,  to  follow  up 
Maitland  and  capture  him  and  his  army  before  they 
could  reach  Delaware,  and  before  they  would  be  aware 
of  anyforce  in  their  rear.  And  I  could  not  bring  my 
self  to  believe  but  what  some  bold  spirit  would  see  and 
take  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  until  the  next  morn 
ing  when  I  saw  the  troops  come  gallantly  marching 
into  London.  Poor  aunt  Anna  had  exerted  her  ener 
gies  in  vain,  and  I  could  not  escape  to  reward  her  efforts. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

FROM    PRISON    TO   HOSPITAL. — FINAL   RELEASE. 

ABOUT  this  time  I  was  taken  down  with  a  fever  that 
prevailed  in  the  city,  and  which  had  at  last  reached 
the  prison.  The  physicians  pronounced  it  bilious,  in 
clined  to  typhus.  The  last  thing  I  remembered,  for 
some  time,  was  holding  onto  a  broom  handle,  and  the 
physician  bleeding  me;  and  the  next  thing  I  remembered 
was  seeing  my  fellow-prisoners,  with  my  mother  and 
sister,  around  me  crying.  I  'thought  to  myself,  I  must 
be  very  sick,  and  will  probably  die,  but  I  will  be  out  of 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  C3 

the  hands  of  the  Tories;  and  again  I  recollected  that  I 
was  being  moved  from  the  prison  on  a  mattress.  Com 
ing  in  contact  with  the  fresh  air  temporarily  restored  me 
to  consciousness. 

Being  acquainted  in  London,  I  tried  to  make  out 
what  part  of  town  they  were  taking  me  to.  Then  all 
was  again  a  blank,  until  one  day  I  saw  Doctor  Moor 
by  my  side,  with  a  snuff-box  in  his  hand,  as  usual.  He 
said,  "  Well,  young  man,  you  have  cheated  the  devil  this 
time."  I  had  previously  been  acquainted  with  him.  A 
year  or  more  before  this,  while  he  was  courting  Prie  t 
Cronin's  daughter,  and  they  were  engaged  to  be  mar 
ried,  on  one  of  his  calls  she  attempted  to  talk  French 
to  him,  and  made  a  terrible  blunder,  which  causjd  an 
estrangement  between  them  for  some  months.  The 
matter  was  finally  explained  to  his  satisfaction,  a  recon 
ciliation  ensued,  and  they  were  married.  I  had  heard 
the  joke,  and  when  he  told  me  that  I  had  ''  cheated  the 
devil  this  time,"  I  thrust  his  wife's  French  at  him.  He 
appeared  startled,  stepped  back,  and  exclaimed,  "  Who 
the  devil  are  you?"  My  mother  and  sister  seemed 
frightened  at  the  recognition,  but  the  joke  passed  off, 
and  after  the  doctor  had  left  his  directions  and  departed, 
I  again  sank  away.  My  sister  told  me  that  an  hour 
after  the  doctor  had  gone,  I  commenced  shaking  so 
violently  that  she  could  hardly  hold  me  on  the  bed. 

I  have  neglected  to  mention  that  on  removal  from 
the  prison  I  was  taken  to  the  hospital,  where  I  was  con 
fined.  The  doctor,  on  leaving,  promised  to  return  in  an 
hour,  and  when  he  did  so,  he  found  me  in  the  condition 
referred  to.  He  saitl  that  was  the  turning  point  in  my 
disease.  When  the  shaking  had  subsided,  I  recovered, 


64  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  retained  my  senses,  yet  I  had  no  more  mind  than  a 
child;  as  an  instance  of  this,  I  was  constantly  importun 
ing  my  mother  and  sister  to  let  me  get  up  and  go 
a-fishing.  I  remembered  a  trout  stream  where  I  used  to 
fish,  and  I  was  determined  to  go  and  catch  a  mess  of 
trout.  They  told  me  I  was  too  weak  to  go,  and  soothed 
me  as  best  they  could,  but  I  was  resolved  to  get  the 
doctor's  consent  and  go.  Consequently  when  the  doc 
tor  came  in  I  said,  "  Doctor,  can  I  go  fishing?"  He 
replied,  "  Yes,  of  course  you  can,  and  it  will  do  you  good." 
I  exultingly  whispered  to  my  attendants,  "I  knew  the 
doctor  would  let  me  go;"  and  I  was  going  to  get  right 
up,  but  as  I  tried  to  raise  my  arm  I  found  that  I  could 
not  do  so  any  more  than  if  it  had  weighed  a  ton. 
Then  I  understood  why  the  doctor  so  readily  gave  his 
consent.  Still  I  could  not  give  up  the  notion  of  fishing, 
and  commenced  teasing  my  friends  to  get  Mr.  Corn- 
stock  to  make  me  a  pair  of  crutches  so  that  I  could  go. 
I  was  improving  very  fast,  and  had  a  good  appetite. 
I  would  cry  for  food,  and  my  sister  would  cry  because 
she  dare  not  let  me  have  it.  I  drew  my  rations  of 
beef,  and  as  I  could  not  eat  it,  it  was  hung  up  near  the 
fire-place  to  dry;  and  while  my  attendants  were  in 
another  room,  I  raised  myself  up,  took  hold  of  the  bed 
stead,  and  tried  to  pull  myself  up  so  I  could  reach  the 
beef.  But  as  I  got  partially  straightened  up,  I  lost  my 
balance  and  down  I  came,  measuring  my  length  on  the 
hard,  uncarpeted  floor.  As  I  was  but  a  mere  skeleton, 
the  skin  was  peeled  from  my  bones  in  several  places. 
My  mother  and  sister  rushed  out,  gathered  me  up,  and 
put  me  to  bed  again,  where  I  lay  fot  several  days  pretty 
quietly,  until  I  got  over  my  bruises,  and  had  from  time 
to  time  been  helped  up  to  a  chair  by  the  fire. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  65 

But  one  morning  they  left  me  sitting  in  a  chair  while 
they  ate  breakfast  in  another  room.  The  meat  that  still 
hung  above  my  head  was  too  tempting  for  me,  and  I 
stuck  my  fingers  through  a  knot-hole  in  the  lath  where 
the  plaster  was 'off  and  pulled  myself  up.  But  not  yet 
being  strong  enough  to  steady  myself,  I  lost  my  balance 
and  away  I  went.  There  were  no  banisters  around  the 
well-hole  of  the  stairway,  and  in  my  efforts  to  recover 
my  lost  balance  I  got  so  near  the  opening  that  when  I 
fell,  I  went  thumping  and  bumping  to  the  bottom. 
The  Irish  sentinel  exclaimed,  ''  And  what  are  ye  doin' 
there?  "  I  answered,  "  Trying  to  break  jail !  "  By  that 
time  my  attendants  were  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  nearly 
frightened  out  of  their  wits.  The  sentinel  helped  them 
carry  me  to  bed,  and  I  was  not  trusted  alone  again  for  a 
long  time. 

When  I  had  sufficiently  recovered  to  walk  about  and 
begin  to  think,  I  discovered  that  my  mind  was  almost  a 
blank,  and  things  came  back  to  me  quite  tardily.  I 
was  also  left  with  a  severe  cough.  In  fact,  the  doctor 
told  my  sister,  who  was  still  with  me,  that  though  I  had 
weathered  that  attack,  I  could  not  live  a  year— that  I 
would  die  of  consumption.  But  I  got  so  much  better 
that  the  authorities  began  talking  of  sending  me  back 
to  prison.  I  did  not  want  to  go  back,  and  commenced 
thinking  once  more  of  escape,  this  time,  by  dressing 
up  in  my  mother's  clothes  and  passing  out  before  the 
sentry  in  the  evening.  Now  my  mother  was  called  a 
tall  woman,  but  when  I  got  on  one  of  her  dresses 
my  long  spindle-shanks  stuck  through  a  foot,  and  I 
soon  discovered  that  the  plan  would  not  work,  and  I 
was  forced  to  abandon  it.  I  had  been  indicted  for  high 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OE 


treason  several  months  before,  but  could  not  be  con 
victed,  as  I  owed  no  allegiance  to  Great  Britain,  and  as 
yet  they  had  not  determined  what  to  do  with  me.  As 
soon  as  I  was  able  to  do  without  a  nurse,  I  was  sent 
back  to  prison.  But  it  was  no  longer  the  immortal  nine; 
there  were  but  eight  left.  James  Watson  had  died  of 
the  fever  that  had  prostrated  me  for  so  long  a  time. 

It  was  not  more  than  a  month,  however,  after  my  re 
turn  from  the  hospital  until  we  received  our  sentence. 
It  was  rather  a  peculiar  sentence,  too,  being  a  decree  of 
voluntary  banishment.  This  was  judgment  and  sentence 
without  a  trial;  but  it  was  a  kind  of  sentence  by  agree 
ment,  as  each  prisoner  was  asked  the  question,  "  Do  you 
accept  the  sentence?"  When  it  came  to  me,  and  the 
question  was  asked  with  all  solemnity,  I  answered, 
*'  Would  a  man  refuse  to  be  banished  from  hell  to 
heaven  ?"  Our  final  sentence  was  that  if  caught  in  Her' 
Majesty's  dominion  after  the  expiration  of  three  days 
we  were  to  be  taken  as  felons  and  suffer  death.  The  doors 
were  then  opened,  and  we  were  permitted  to  pass  out 
without  a  guard. 

I  had  about  two  dollars  in  my  pocket,  and  my  friends 
lived  in  the  opposite  direction  from  which  to  go  to  get 
out  of  the  country.  Mrs.  Parks  was  present,  and  I  bade 
her  good-by.  Mrs.  O'Brien  insisted  that  I  should  go 
home  with  her,  which  was  but  a  short  distance,  and  get  a 
good  meal  before  starting  on  my  journey,  and  I  readily 
complied.  She  gave  me  a  good  dinner,  with  all  the 
port  wine  I  dared  drink,  and  offered  to  give  me  money,  but 
I  was  too  proud  to  take  it.  I  thanked  her  kindly,  and 
in  taking  leave  of  her  she  said,  "  Lewis,  something  tells 
rne  that  you  will  one  day  return  in  triumph;  and  if  you 


COLONEL  .L.  A.  NORTON.  67 

do,  remember  your  friends."  I  joined  my  companions, 
who  were  ready  for  a  start,  and  as  I  headed  for  my 
native  country,  I  found  from  my  extreme  weakness  that 
a  common  road  was  scarcely  wide  enough  for  me  to  walk 
in,  but  I  was  naturally  a 'good  walker. 

We  had  ninety  miles  to  make  on  foot  to  get  out  of 
the  country,  and  I  think  that  the  Tories  devoutly  hoped 
we  would  fail.  I  felt1  behind,  and  at  dusk  of  evening  I 
could  just  discern  my  companions  in  the  dim  distance. 
They  had  found  a  hotel,  and  I  came  up,  dragging  my 
limbs  after  me.  I  got  some  refreshment  and  stretched 
myself  on  the  soft  side  of  a  long  bench,  where  I  spent  the 
night.  I  awoke  the  next  morning  a  little  sore,  but  on 
the  whole  much  refreshed.  We  got  some  breakfast  and 
about  seven  o'clock  we  again  started  on  our  journey. 
That  day  I  kept  up  with  my  companions,  walking  over 
thirty  miles.  We  passed  the  second  night  at  a  kind  of 
wayside  hotel,  having  about  thirty  miles  to  go  the  next 
day  to  reach  the  St.  Glair  River.  The  exercise,  bracing 
air,  and  good  food,  had  temporarily  revived  me,  and  the 
third  day  I  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  march,  and 
when  we  reached  the  river  bank  bur  companions  were 
just  coming  in  sight,  trudging  along,  almost  tired  out. 
The  last  day  we  had  suffered  terribly  for  want  of  water, 
and  at  one  time  I  was  nearly  blind  from  thirst.  But 
near  the  road,  in  a  swale  where  a  tree  had  been  uprooted, 
there  was  a  muddy  pool  filled  with  midges,  tadpoles, 
and  lots  )f  little  red  bugs;  from  this  pool  I  took  a  re 
freshing  drink,  and  was  thankful  for  my  good  fortune  in 
finding  it.  As  soon  as  all  the  company  had  arrived  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  a  boat  was  secured,  we  exhibited  our 
passes,  and  in  an  hour  we  were  at  Black  River  in  Mich 
igan,  I  having  borrowed  eight  cents  to  pay  my  passage. 


68  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER     X. 

EXPERIENCES   IN   MICHIGAN   AND    ILLINOIS. 

THERE  was  a  good  deal  of  sympathy  expressed  for 
the  poor  Patriots,  who  had  been  released  from  a 
Canadian  prison,  and  who  had  been  banished  from  the 
Canadas,  and  their  property  confiscated.  There  were 
constant  arrivals,  from  Black  River  to  Grand  Rapids,  of 
persons  seeking  employment  on  the  railroad,  but  there  was 
an  offer  oif  work  to  our  boys  in  preference  to  all  others. 
As  for  me,  I  looked  like  the  wandering  "  ghost  of 
Colitus,"  and  a  single  glance  would  have  convinced  the 
most  casual  observer  that  I  could  not  go  into  the  forest 
and  wield  the  ax  or  the  pick  and  shovel.  But  the  con 
tractor  was  very  kind,  and  gave  me  employment  as  boss 
of  a  job  of  grubbing  and  clearing  for  the  laying  of  the 
track  through  the  Black  River  Swamp.  My  condition  at 
this  time  was  such  that  I  could  not  sleep  lying  clown, 
but  had  to  assume  a  half-reclining  and  half-sitting  po 
sition,  coughing  all  night.  The  people  where  my  wash 
ing  was  done  remarked  that  the  poor  fellow  would  not 
come  for  his  washing  many  times  more. 

There  was  a  garrison  of  United  States  troops  close 
by,  and  there  was  considerable  talk  of  war  with  En 
gland  on  account  of  the  burning  of  the  steamer  Caro 
line;  and  I  thought  if  I  could  only  enlist,  and  live  until 
we  could  attack  the  British  forces,  I  would  sell  my  life 
as  clearly  as  possible,  and  die  content.  I  tried  to  enlist, 
but  the  examining  physician  told  me  that  I  had  better 
seek  a  hospital  rather  than  the  barracks.  As  they 
would  not  receive  me,  I  returned  to  our  camp  and  re- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  69 


suiiied  my  duties,  hoping  against  hope  for  a,continuance 
of  my  life. 

One  day  shortly  after  this  occurrence,  the  men  cut  a 
large  pine  tree,  at  the  heart  of  which  there  appeared  a 
kind  of  acid.  It  bubbled  up  out  of  the  center  of  the 
stump  as  clear  as  spring  water,  and  as  sharp  as  the 
strongest  vinegar.  Among  others,  I  tasted  it,  and  it 
seemed  to  go  right  to  the  affected  part,  throwing  me 
into  the  most  violent  paroxysms  of  coughing.  With 
me  it  was  anything  that  would  kill  or  cure,  and  I  had 
the  boys  scallop  out  the  stump  so  as  to  hold  the  liquid* 
which  I  continued  to  use  as  a  constant  drink.  And 
about  the  same  time  I  commenced  chewing  spikenard 
root,  which  grew  there  in  abundance.  I  also  collected 
hemlock  gum  and  made  plasters,  which  I  applied  exter 
nally  to  the  region  of  the  pains. 

I  continued  this  treatment  about  two  weeks,  and  felt 
the  beneficial  effects  very  sensibly.  When  we  struck 
another  pine  producing  a  like  acid,  I  continued  to  drink 
it,  still  using  the  spikenard  root,  and  applying  the  hem 
lock  plasters.  At  the  end  of  a  month  I  was,  so  to  speak, 
a  new- man.  I  had  had  a  little  property  at  Jamestown, 
in  Cajiada,  which  was  confiscated,  and  I  was  solely  ^£- 
pendent  on  my  wages  for  a  living.  But  as  soon  as  my 
family  heard  of  my  whereabouts,  they  disposed  of  their 
property  and  left  the  country,  emigrating  to  Illinois. 
My  brother  called  for  me  where  I  was  at  work,  and  I 
joined  them,  and  we  all  reached  Chicago,  Illinois,  late 
in  the  fall  of  1838. 

The  Michigan  canal  was  then  in  course  of  construc 
tion  from  Chicago  to  La  Salle,  where  we  all  found  em 
ployment;  but  as  my  health  improved,  my  military 


70  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


ardor  increase!,  and  I  commenced  planning  an  expedi 
tion  to  invade  the  Canadas.  There  was  plenty  of  ma 
terial  around  me — daring,  reckless  spirits,  who  were  filled 
with  enthusiasm.  Many  impromptu  meetings  were 
held,  and  in  thirty  days  after  the  thing  was  started,  I 
had  over  six  hundred  men  enlisted  for  the  expedition. 
But  it  was  impossible  to  conduct  the  proceedings  with 
that  degree  of  secrecy  that  would  insure  success.  They 
would  hoot  and  cheer,  and  carry  me  around  on  their 
shoulders,  with  boastings  and  demonstrations  that  I  could 
not  control.  Consequently  I  hurried  my  arrangements. 
Chicago  at  that  time  did  not  contain  over  fifteen  hun 
dred  inhabitants;  in  fact,  it  was  but  a  village.  There 
was  an  arsenal  with  a  few  hundred  small  arms  and  two 
six-pound  brass  cannons,  with  some  fixed  ammunition, 
but  not  enough  to  carry  out  my  plans,  which  were  as 
follows:  I  would  first  arm  and  equip  the  men  compris 
ing  the  expedition,  and  also  provide  a  supply  with  which 
to  arm  others  after  landing  in  Canada.  I  intended  to 
lease  a  good  large  steamer,  ship  my  command,  and  land 
them  at  Maldon,  on  the  Canada  shore;  then  commence 
a  rapid  march  to  the  interior,  sweeping  through  the  set- 
tW  parts  of  the  country,  compel  every  able-bodied  man 
to  join  our  standard,  forage  on  the  country  for  supplies? 
and  leave  nothing  in  our  rear  to  oppose  us.  My  march 
was  to  be  so  rapid  as  to  give  no  time  for  plotting  treason 
in  the  ranks,  and  but  little  time  to  array  forces  in  front. 
Expecting  by  the  time  1  reached  London,  Canada 
West,  that  I  would  have  at  least  ten  thousand  men,  I 
intended  to  garrison  all  captured  towns  with  them  and 
men  loyal  to  our  cause;  for 'I  was  confident  that  at  least 
two-thirds  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  entire  country  would 
be  in  sympathy  with  the  move. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  71 

But  it  is  useless  to  give  the  plans  of  an  exploded  ex 
pedition  in  detail ;  suffice  it  to  say  it  was  my  intention  to 
sweep  the  Canadas,  manufacturing  my  broom  from  their 
own  timber.  But  while  corresponding  with  parties  at 
Detroit  regarding  arms  and  munitions  of  war  at  that 
place,  the  United  States  Marshal,  one  morning,  tapped 
me  on  the  shoulder  and  said,  "Young  man,  several  of  the 
contractors  on  the  canal  have  been  making  complaints 
against  you,  charging  you  with  the  intention  of  invad 
ing  Canada.  These  men  are  acting  from  interested 
motives,  as  in  case  you  carried  out  your  scheme  it  would 
leave  their  jobs  without  hands.  I  am  frank  to  admit 
that  I  sympathize  with  your  cause,  but  unless  you  dis- 
b'and  and  abandon  the  expedition  I  shall  be  compelled 
to  arrest  you;  so  you  had  better  take  warning  in  time  to 
avoid  trouble."  I  remonstrated  with  him,  and  asked 
him  if  he  could  not  take  a  journey,  or  volunteer  and  go 
with  us;  but  he  declined  all  overtures,  saying,  "I  will  do 
better  than  that,  I  will  keep  you  all  from  getting  your 
throats  cut." 

Through  the  vigilance  of  the  contractors  and  the 
marshal,  our  expedition  came  to  an  end.  I  worked 
that  fall  and  winter  on  the  canal,  and  the  next  spring 
drifted  up  to  Warrenville,  Du  Page  County,  Illinois, 
where  I  remained  some  time  with  Harvey  T.  Wilson, 
who  was  very  kind  to  me,  and  put  me  on  track  of  some 
vacant  Government  land,  of  which  I  located  one  hun 
dred  and  sixty  acres.  I  gave  my  brother-in-law  an 
equal  interest  in  the  land,  and,  being  a  good  sawyer,  my 
services  were  soon  calle.l  into  requisition  at  Carey's  saw 
mill,  at  thirty  dollars  a  month. 

I  worked  there  several  months,  during  which  time  I 


72  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

learned  that  one  of  my  old  Patriot  friends,  Caleb  Kip, 
was  residing  on  the  west  side  of  Fox  River.  We  were 
very  intimate  friends,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  tu  visit 
him.  So  one  clay  I  set  out,  mounted  on  a  favorite  mare, 
which  I  prized  very  highly,  on  my  contemplated  visit. 
On  coming  to  the  river,  I  found  it  so  swollen  by  the 
spring  freshet  as  to  carry  off  all  the  bridges,  and  there 
was  no  crossing  short  of  Elgin.  I  was  informed,  how 
ever,  of  a  ford  that  could  be  crossed  in  ordinary  stages 
of  water,  and  I  resolved  to  try  the  ford.  Arriving  at 
the  designated  crossing,  I  found  the  stream  running 
high  and  wild,  and  in  the  middle  the  current  was  very 
swift.  But,  nothing  daunted,  I  plunged  in. 

At  first  my  mare  found  good  footing,  the  water  only 
coming  half  way  up  her  sides,  and  I  was  congratulating 
myself  that  it  was  not  much  of  a  feat,  notwithstanding 
all  the  cautions  I  had  received.  But  suddenly  the 
noble  animal  dropped  into  the  boiling  current  and  went 
under,  head  and  ears;  however,  she  soon  came  to  the  sur 
face,  and  gallantly  stemmed  the  flood  with  her  ears  and 
eyes  out  of  water.  The  rushing  current  carried  us  rapidly 
down  stream,  but  she  continued  to  swim  for  the  opposite 
shore;  yet  I  could  see  that  she  was  beginning  to  fail, 
that  the  effort  was  tdo  much  for  her,  and  I  was  seriously 
thinking  of  throwing  myself  off  from  her  back  when 
she  struck  bottom.  About  this  time  I  saw  an  old  gen 
tleman  by  the  name  of  Hill  running  down  to  the  river 
for  his  boat.  The  mare  continued  to  wade  toward  the 
shore,  which  was  yet  at  a  considerable  distance;  but  hav 
ing  gone  some  forty  or  fifty  yards,  down  she  went 
again  and  had  to  swim  for  dear  life.  I  now  saw  that 
there  was  but  one  show  for  her  or  me,  so  I  slid  off 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  73 

behind,  seizing  her  by  the  tail,  and  thus  relieved  she 
brought  me  to  shore.  The  old  gentleman  met  us  at  the 
point  of  landing  and  assisted  me  to  the  house,  for  I  was 
so  chilled  and  benumbed  that  I  could  scarcely  stand. 
He  built  a  big  fire,  and  while  I  was  warming  myself  and 
drying  my  clothes,  he  took  care  of  my  horse.  He  gave 
me  a  big  horn  of  whisky,  and  presently  some  dinner, 
and  in  an  hour  and  a  half  I  was  on  my  way  again, 
arriving  safely  at  my  friend's  house  without  further 
adventure. 

The  next  afternoon  I  went  back  home,  but  not  by 
the  same  road;  I  went  by  way  of  Elgin.  I  resumed 
my  work  at  Garey's;  the  thaw  continued,  the  ice  was 
broken,  and  we  expected,  with  the  force  of  the  ice  and 
the  immense  flood  of  water  rushing  upon  the  mill-dam, 
that  the  dam  must  give  way,  although  we  were  making 
almost  superhuman  efforts  to  save  it.  Several  of  the 
hands,  myself  among  them,  had  been  all  day  on  the 
lookout,  and  wherever  a  hole  was  discovered  we  would 
stuff  in  straw  and  dirt. 

Night  came  on  and  I  remained  with  a  lantern  to 
watch  for  breaks  in  the  dam.  Next  to  the  mill  there 
was  a  large  bulkhead,  and  fifty  feet  from  that,  out 
near  the  middle  of  the  dam,  was  a  second  bulkhead, 
and  between  the  two  there  was  a  low  place,  about  four 
feet  lower  than  the  rest  of  the  dam,  which  was  called  the 
"  roll-way."  Over  this  roll-way,  where  the  surplus  water 
escaped  over  the  dam,  was  extended  a  small  log,  about 
eighteen  inches  at  the  butt,  running  to  about  six  inches 
at  the  top.  We  used  to  walk  this  timber  to  get  from 
the  mill  to  the  middle  of  the  dam,  which  was  the  highest 
part  and  was  above  water,  making  a  little  island;  and  as 
6 


74  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

• 

the  water  kept  washing  it  away,  it  became  very  small. 
Time  had  passed,  the  water  was  rushing  and  moaning  on 
every  side  of  me;  it  had  become  evident  that  the  mill 
and  dam  and  everything  must  soon  go  before  the  force 
of  the  flood.  I  must  escape  from  there  or  be  drowned. 
Still  I  remained  on  the  little  island  in  the  middle  of 
the  dam.  On  one  side  was  a  swinging  pole  or  timber 
that  swayed  to  and  fro  with  my  weight,  and  passing  over 
the  roll-way  was  a  boiling,  seething  flood,  resistless  in  its 
force,  and  terrible  in  its  fury.  It  is  true  that  in  day 
light,  and  when  the  water  was  at  its  normal  stage,  I  had 
often  walked  the  log;  but  now,  over  the  raging  flood, 
with  a  roaring  cataract  all  around  me,  by  the  uncertain 
light  of  a  lantern,  and  the  log  slippery  with  water,  could 
I  succeed  in  the  undertaking  ?  and  would  it  not  be 
courting  death  to  make  the  attempt  ?  To  fall  and  go 
over  the  dam  would  be  just  as  fatal  as  to  go  over  Niag 
ara  Falls;  but  what  was  to  be  done?  I  would  have 
to  take  to  the  water  like  a  spaniel — no,  not  like  a 
spaniel,  for  he  could  not  have  survived  two  minutes. 
The  dam  on  that  side  was  made  by  spiking  two-inch 
plank  onto  a  timber  foundation  at  an  angle  of  about 
forty  degrees,  leaving  nothing  but  the  edge  of  the  plank 
as  a  footing  or  top  of  the  dam;  and  over  this  the  water 
was  pouring  waist  deep  for  a  distance  of  three  hundred 
feet. 

All  on  shore  had  been  aware  of  my  danger  for  hours, 
I  could  not  hear  anything  that  was  said  on  the  shore, 
but  they  were  gesticulating  violently  and  beckoning  with 
lights  for  me  to  cross  the  log.  But  I  felt  that  it  was  im 
possible  for  me  to  accomplish  the  feat.  But  I  must  do 
something,  and  that  seeming  to  be  the  only  chance,  I 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  75 


must  try.  I  took  the  lantern  and  made  the  effort.  The 
small  end  was  next  to  me,  and  I  started  out,  the  water 
running  below  my  feet  with  lightning  speed,  as  seen  by 
the  dim,  uncertain  light  of  the  lantern.  My  head  began 
to  swim  and  I  was  losing  my  balance;  I  was  falling, 
but  I  could  not  turn.  I  was  about  twelve  feet  out  on 
the  log.  As  a  last  hope  I  threw  myself  backwards, 
making  a  desperate  leap.  My  feet,  legs,  and  lower  part 
of  my  body  struck  in  the  water,  but  one  arm  had  struck 
over  the  timbers  of  the  waste-gate.  I  was  at  least  tem 
porarily  saved  and  dripping.  Again  I  took  the  position 
but  a  minute  before  abandoned. 

My  little  island  in  the  middle  of  the  dam  was  con 
stantly  growing  less  as  the  flood  arose.  But  there  was 
one  hope  still  left,  and  I  lost  no  time  in  trying  to  take 
advantage  of  it.  The  water  was  waist  deep  where  it 
was  pouring  over  the  dam  on  the  west  side.  I  took  a 
long  pole  and  ran  it  down  in  the  water  on  the  upper  side 
of  the  dam,  and  commenced  wading  and  feeling  with 
my  feet  for  the  edge  of  the  plank,  steadying  myself 
with  the  pole,  and  in  this  way  I  waded  some  fifteen  rods 
to  the  west  shore,  where  I  arrived  without  a  dry  thread 
on  me,  and  chilling  from  the  icy  coldness  of  the  water. 
I  was  safe  from  the  perils  of  the  flood,  but  there  was  no 
house  or  habitation  on  that  side  of  the  stream  within  two 
miles. 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  I  dare  not  attempt  to  reach 
a  house  on  that  side,  and  I  concluded  to  try  to  cross  the 
stream.  There  was  a  bridge  below  the  mill,  but  covered 
at  this  time  with  three  or  four  feet  of  water.  I  took  my 
pole  and  wading  in  to  the  approach  of  the  bridge,  found 
that  the  planking  had  been  all  floated  off,  but  the  abut- 


76  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ments  being  yet  firm  in  the  earth,  the  stringers  had  not 
gone.  So  I  felt  my  way  over,  steadying  myself  with  the 
pole,  and  safely  reached  the  other  shore,  where  I  was 
soon  made  comfortable. 

The  next  spring,  that  of  1839,  I  went  over  to  St. 
Charles,  on  Fox  River,  on  a  fishing  excursion,  and  there 
met  an  old  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Calvin  Ward. 
He  wanted  to  hire  a  man  to  work  as  a  common  laborer, 
offering  fair  wages.  I  soon  struck  up  a  bargain  and  went 
to  work  for  him,  continuing  about  three  months,  when 
the  old  gentleman  wanted  me  to  cut  prairie  hay  for  him 
and  in  payment  he  would  sell  me  town  lots.  I  made 
another  agreement  with  him  and  commenced  cutting 
hay.  At  this  I  made  about  five  dollars  a  day,  and  soon 
found  myself  the  owner  of  thirteen  town  lots  in  St. 
Charles.  It  was  a  growing  little  town,  and  in  one  year 
my  lots  had  quadrupled  in  value. 

In  the  meantime  I  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  a 
young  lady  by  the  name  of  Fisk,  and  married  her  in  the 
fall  of  1840.  Fisk  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
had  come  out  to  the  West  for  the  purpose  of  locating  in 
the  country,  and  Christianizing  the  heathen,  as  well  as 
improving  his  worldly  condition;  and,  to  use  his  own 
language,  he  thought  he  "  would  find  the  people  poor, 
ignorant,  and  honest."  He  said  he  "  found  them  poor 
enough,  and  ignorant  enough,  but  could  not  boast  of 
their  honesty."  He  brought  five  thousand  dollars  out 
with  him,  and  the  poor,  ignorant,  and  honest  inhabitants 
of  the  West  had  got  it  all  from  him,  and  all  that  he  had 
to  show  for  it  was  a  settler's  claim  to  a  beautiful  piece  of 
prairie  land  about  two  miles  east  of  St.  Charles.  How 
ever,  his  father  was  a  wealthy  man  and  he  was  heir 
expectant. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  77 

We  soon  arranged  matters;  I  was  to  go  onto  the 
farm,  extinguish  a  small  lien  upon  it,  and,  when  the  land 
came  into  market,  pay  the  Government  and  then  we 
would  own  the  place  in  equal  shires.  I  took  possession 
of  the  farm,  and  Deacon  Fisk  went  back  East  to  visit 
his  parents.  I  cleared  the  indebtedness  from  the  farm 
and  deeded  it,  and  at  the  end  of  a  year  the  deacon 
returned,  but  not  wishing  to  farm  it  he  settled  in  Ge 
neva,  selling  me  his  interest  in  the  place. 

At  this  time  money  was  very  scarce  in  Illinois,  and 
nearly  all  business  transaction  was  in  trade.  It  happened 
that  I  turned  out  to  be  a  pretty  good  trader,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  year  I  owned  my  prairie  farm  and  about  eighty 
acres  of  timber  land  situated  on  a  small  creek,  when  I 
took  it  into  my  head  to  erect  a  saw-mill  on  the  creek, 
to  the  infinite  mirth  of  my  neighbors  generally.  And 
many  of  my  sympathizing  friends  remonstrated  against 
my  folly,  telling  me  that  it  was  a  pity  that  I  should 
squander  my  property, for  which  I  had  struggled  so  hard, 
on  so  foolish  a  project.  Notwithstanding  the  many 
cautions,  I  struggled  on,  completed  my  mill,  and  made 
it  a  paying  institution;  and  instead  of  its  ruining  me,  I 
paid  for  it  in  the  first  four  months  run. 

My  wife  was  a  little,  fragile  woman,  and  sick  much  of 
the  time.  She  was  an  only  child,  and  her  mother  in 
sisted  on  her  remaining  with  her  most  of  the  time,  which 
broke  me  up  very  much — so  much  that  in  fact  I  was  in 
a  worse  condition  than  I  would  have  been  if  I  had  had 
no  wife  at  all.  I  was  leading  a  miserable  existence, 
when  circumstances  occurred  which  for  a  time  changed 
my  whole  course  of  life. 


78  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XL 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR. 

ALL  will  remember,  on  the  declaration  of  war  by 
the  United  States  against  Mexico,  how  nobly  the 
State  of  Illinois  responded  to  that  call.  Thousands  of 
her  citizens  left  their  various  occupations  and  offered 
their  services  to  maintain  the  honor  of  their  country; 
and  this  outburst  of  patriotism  was  not  confined  to  class 
or  creed;  the  artisan,  mechanic,  laborer,  and  professional 
man  alike,  rushed  to  the  field  to  swell  the  ranks  of  our 
citizen  soldiery;  and  at  very  short  notice  six  regiments 
marched  to  the  seat  of  war,  from  that  State.  Kane 
County  soon  furnished  her  company,  which  was  fortu 
nate  enough  to  be  received  as  Company  I,  Twenty-second 
Illinois  Volunteers;  term  of  enlistment,  during  the  war. 
I  say  fortunate,  for  many  companies  were  too  late  to 
be  permitted  to  join  in  that  struggle.  I  raised  the  com 
pany  referred  to,  and  having  been  promised  the  position 
of  quartermaster,  I  refused  to  be  elected  captain,  from 
which  a  suspicion  arose  among  my  men  that  I  did  not 
intend  to  accompany  them  to  Mexico.  I  assured  them 
that  I  would  go  if  they  had  to  carry  me  on  a  litter. 

We  took  steamer  at  St.  Louis  for  New  Orleans, 
and  en  route  I  was  taken  down  with  the  measles.  A 
person  could  not  well  imagine  a  more  uncomfortable 
spot  to  encounter  such  an  enemy,  crowded  as  we  were 
between  the  decks  of  a  Mississippi  steamer,  in  the  month 
of  July,  in  that  climate;  and  when  we  reached  Carlton, 
seven  miles  above  New  Orleans,  where  we  were  to  await 
a  ship  for  our  transportation,  the  measles  had  broken  out 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  79 

and  I  was  in  a  burning  fever.  I  took  a  carriage  for  the 
hotel,  leaving  my  servant  to  take  charge  of  my  baggage. 
On  reaching  the  hotel  the  landlord  remarked  to  me: 
41  Young  man,  you  seem  to  be  ill?"  I  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  and  told  him  that  I  wanted  the  best  accom 
modations  he  could  give.  To  my  surprise  and  mortifica 
tion,  he  informed  me  that  he  was  very  sorry,  but  he  could 
not  take  me  into  his  house,  as  by  so  doing  his  boarders 
and  customers  would  all  leave  him;  that  the  yellow  fever 
had  broken  out  in  New  Orleans,  and  that  every  sick 
person  would  be  suspected  of  having  that  disease. 

I  remonstrated,  but  in  vain;  he  was  inexorable,  and  I 
ordered'  the  driver  to  take  me  to  the  next,  and  only 
other  hotel  in  the  place.  There,  after  informing  the 
landlord  of  my  true  condition,  I  was  taken  in,  and  after 
being  seated  in  my  room  I  rang  for  a  pitcher  of  ice  water, 
when,  not  the  ice  water,  but  the  landlord  put  in  an  ap 
pearance  and  informed  me  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  him  to  keep  me  in  his  house,  for  if.  he  should  do  so 
his  guests  would  all  leave  him;  this  information,  sick  as 
I  was,  very  much  irritated  me.  I  asked  the  landlord  if 
there  was  any  military  hospital  in  the  place.  He  replied 
in  the  negative.  I  then  asked  him  if  there  was  any 
officer  of  the  quartermaster  department  there.  He  in 
formed  me  that  he  believed  there  was  a  quartermaster- 
sergeant  there.  I  requested  that  he  be  sent  to  me.  He 
soon  called.  I  related  to  him  the  condition  of  things, 
and  asked  if  there  were  any  arrangements  made  by  the 
quartermaster  department  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  sick.  He  told  me  that  a  building  had  been  rented 
for  that  purpose,  and  a  few  cots  provided — nothing  more. 
I  informed  him  that  I  was  acting  quartermaster  of  our 


80  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

command,  and  ordered  him  to  place  furniture  in  the 
building,  and  make  it  as  comfortable  as  possible;  then 
directing  my  servant  to  have  my  baggage  brought  to  the 
hospital,  I  took  my  satchel  in  my  hand  and  accompanied 
the  sergeant  to  the  place,  traveling  more  than  a  mile  in 
my  condition,  through  the  broiling  sun  at  midday. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  place  I  threw  myself  down 
on  a  cot,  and  that  was  the  last  I  remembered  for  about 
eight  days.  On  my  returning  to  consciousness  I  was 
informed  that  a  lady  living  near  the  place  had  been  my 
nurse,  and  gave  me  all  the  attention  that  could  have  been 
bestowed  on  me  at  my  own  home.  With  careful  nurs 
ing  and  the  attention  of  our  surgeon,  Wm.  B.  Whitesides, 
and  aided  by  youth  and  an  excellent  constitution^  I  was 
enabled  to  weather  the  blast.  When  very  weak  and 
scarcely  able  to  stand  alone,  I  was  informed  that  a  ship 
had  arrived  to  transport  us  to  the  seat  of  war,  and  that  our 
place  of  destination  was  Tampico;  but  to  my  chagrin,  I 
learned  that  the  doctor  had  declared  that  it  would  be 
wholly  impossible  for  me  to  stand  the  sea  voyage,  and 
that  the  colonel  had  ordered  me  to  remain  in  the  hospi 
tal  until  I  had  recovered  my  health  sufficiently  to  stand 
the  trip. 

When  I  was  informed  of  that  fact  I  was  very  much 
disheartened,  and  resolved  to  go  at  all  risk.  I  accord 
ingly  sent  for  my  colonel  and  the  surgeon,  and  begged 
of  the  colonel  to  countermand  his  order.  He  said 
he  had  acted  with  a  view  to  my  good,  but  if  I  in 
sisted  on  going  he  had  no  objections.  The  doctor  (I 
suppose  for  my  consolation)  informed  me  that  if  I 
made  the  attempt  they  would  have  to  bury  me  at  sea. 
I  could  not  see  it  in  that  light,  but  told  the  doctor  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  81 

I  was  going,  and  if  I  died  on  the  passage  I  wanted  them 
to  bury  me  on  the  Mexican  shore,  and  not  at  sea,  for  I 
had  started  for  Mexico,  and  to  Mexico  I  was  going  !  I 
gave  my  servant  twenty  dollars  for  the  woman  who  had 
nursed  me,  and  told  the  boys  to  prepare  the  litter,  for  I 
intended  to  keep  my  promise  with  them;  but  instead  of 
the  litter  they  mounted  me  on  the  colonel's  horse,  with  a 
man  walking  each  side  to  steady  me,  and  in  that  way 
transported  me  to  the  ship. 

We  had  a  pleasant  voyage,  in  due  time  arriving  at 
Tampico,' which  lies  on  the  north  side  of  the  Tampico 
River,  about  six  miles  from  its  mouth,  in  the  State  of 
Tamaulipas.  This  has  the  reputation  of  being  the  most 
sickly  place  in  the  world.  Yellow  fever  and  black  vomito 
sweep  off  its  hundreds  yearly.  The  place  is  almost  sur 
rounded  by  stagnant  pools  and  lagunas.  On  our  arrival 
I  was  not  only  alive,  but  was  able  to  walk  the  decks  of 
the  vessel.  We  had  no  fighting  at  this  place.  Captain 
Chase  was  the  American  consul,  and  on  the  first  arrival 
of  the  American  ships  of  war,  Mrs.  Chase  hoisted  the 
stars  and  stripes  at  their  residence,  and  Tampico  sur 
rendered  at  discretion.  I  was  soon  domiciled  at  the  St. 
Charles  Hotel,  kept  by  Mexicans,  of  course.  They  spoke 
no  English,  and  I  could  not  speak  a  word  of  Spanish; 
the  consequence  was  that  I  would  call  for  one  thing  and 
they  would  bring  me  another;  but  we  managed  to  get 
along  for  three  or  four  days,  while  my  quartermaster- 
sergeant,  under  the  supervision  of  Dr.  Whitesides,  was 
perfecting  our  hospital  arrangements. 

About  this  time  the  doctor  called  in  to  see  me,  and 
announced  the  fact  that  they  had  so  far  progressed  as  to 
get  a  building;  had  supplied  the  more  urgent  necessities 


82  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

of  the  sick,  and  had  made  a  couple  of  rooms  ready  for 
myself  and  attendants.  All  that  was  now  lacking  to 
make  me  comfortable  was  a  supply  of  water,  which,  by 
the  way,  was  hard  to  be  obtained  there,  as  I  afterwards 
learned;  all  that  was  used,  except  what  was  saved  from 
the  winter  rains  in  cisterns,  had  to  be  brought  down 
the  river  from  above  tide  water,  in  casks.  I  was  much 
elated  with  the  idea  of  again  getting  among  my  com 
mand,  for  they  all  looked  upon  me  as  their  captain.  As 
Lieut.  W.  G.  Conkling  used  to  say,  Captain  Harvey  never 
drilled  his  company  in  his  life,  which  was  literally  true, 
and  when  I  was  engaged  in  my  staff  duties  Conkling 
generally  commanded  the  company. 

The  morning  after  my  interview,  Mr.  Chase,  hospital 
steward,  came  down  to  the  hotel  to  see  me;  I  requested 
him  to  allow  me  to  lean  on  his  arm  and  I  would  attempt 
to  go  with  him  to  the  hospital.  He  consented,  and  when 
arriving  there  I  did  not  feel  exhausted,  and  asked  him 
to  walk  along  with  me  and  we  would  try  and  procure  a 
glass  of  strong  beer  or  ale,  as  I  felt  somewhat  thirsty. 
We  had  not  advanced  far  before  I  noticed,  sitting  in 
well-furnished  apartments,  an  elderly  man  of  rather  light 
complexion,  who,  as  I  thought  from  his  appearance,  was 
not  a  Mexican,  and  perhaps  could  speak  our  language. 
Being  on  the  sick  list  I  was  attired  in  citizen  clothes,  and 
looking  in  sharply  at  the  old  gentleman,  he  arose  and  in 
good  English  asked  what  I  wanted.  At  that  I  turned 
in  towards  his  door  and  informed  him  that  I  would  pre 
fer  a  glass  of  strong  beer  or  ale  to  anything  else  at  that 
time.  He  remarked,  "  Pretty  well,  that  a  British  consul 
should  be  called  on  so  early  Sunday  morning  for  beer." 
I  quietly  informed  him  that  if  he  had  not  got  it,  I  should 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  83 

propose  getting  it  in  Tampico,  as  the  English  were  all 
lovers  of  good  ale.  It  being  a  national  joke,  the  old 
man  burst  into  a  hoarse  laugh.  I  turned  on  my  heel 
and  informed  him  that  I  probably  enjoyed  the  joke  as 
well  as  himself. 

Time  rolled  on;  I  had  recovered  my  health,  and  as  my 
quartermaster  duties  were  light  and  many  of  our  officers 
were  then  sick,  I  volunteered  to  do  duty  in  the  lines; 
and  as  I  was  riding  my  rounds  as  officer  of  the  day  near 
the  western  defense  of  Tampico,  one  evening,  I  fell  in 
with  the  British  consul.  He  seemed  very  affable,  and 
among  other  things  asked  to  what  command  I  belonged. 
I  informed  him  that  I  belonged  to  the  Illinois  regiment, 
when  he  observed,  "  I  have  a  good  joke  to  tell  you  of 
one  of  those  green  '  suckers.'  '  He  then  proceeded  to 
narrate  the  beer  story,  stating  that  he  thought  to  awe 
the  man  by  informing  him  who  he  was,  but  observed 
that  the  cool  answer  of  the  fellow  amused  him.  I  asked 
him  if  he  would  know  that  green  '  sucker  '  were  he  to 
meet  h;m  again.  He  said,  "No;  how  should  I  know 
him  when  there  are  so  many  calling  on  me  every  day 
for  something  ?  "  I  raised  my  cap  and  said,  "  Behold 
in  your  humble  servant  the  green  '  sucker '  that  called  on 
you  for  the  beer."  He  seemed  somewhat  surprised,  and 
then  added,  "  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  who  you  were  ? 
I  had  no  beer,  but  I  possessed  some  very  nice  wine  and 
good  old  brandy;"  and  at  his  earnest  solicitation  I  was 
induced  to  accompany  him  home  to  take  the  proof  of 
his  assertion,  when  we  made  a  night  of  it. 

I  thought  no  more  of  the  matter  until  the  next  Satur 
day,  when  a  paragraph  appeared  in  the  Tampico  Sentinel 
giving  the  anecdote  of  the  green  "sucker  "  calling  on 


84  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

the  British  consul  for  beer,  and  hinting  that  the  green 
"sucker"  turned  out  to  be  an  officer  in  the  army.  The 
sto»ry  was  copied  in  most  of  the  Eastern  papers,  and 
again  made  its  appearance  in  Tampico,  when  it  became 
a  question  as  to  who  was  the  green  "sucker."  Major 
Jerolt  had  come  down  from  Altamira  with  most  of  his 
command,  and  we  were  having  a  good  time  at  the  office 
saloon  in  Tampico,  when  the  question  was  again  asked, 
"Who  was  the  green  ;  sucker'?"  I  called  the  crowd  to 
the  bar,  and  after  filling,  I  told  them  that  I  could  not 
keep  a  good  joke,  although  it  might  be  at  my  own  ex 
pense.  I  "acknowledged  the  corn,"  and  was  ever  after 
known  as  the  veritable  "  green  sucker." 

Colonel  Gates,  with  brevet  rank  of  brigadier-general, 
was  military  governor  at  Tampico,  and  commander  of 
the  forces  stationed  at  that  place,  being  about  two  thou 
sand  five  hundred  in  all;  and  by  his  orders  our  regiment, 
or  rather  battalion  (as  one  battalion  of  our  regiment  was 
ordered  to  join  General  Scott),  was  stationed  on  the  north 
side  of  the  city,  when  we  first  began  to  enjoy  the  beau 
ties  of  camp  life.  We  were  quartered  in  our  tents,  and 
compelled  by  orders  of  the  commander  to  maintain  a 
guard  around  our  encampment,  making  a  regular  detail 
of  about  thirty  men.  Owing  to  the  great  number  sick, 
and  the  small  numerical  force,  together  with  the  extreme 
heat,  the  duties  were  very  exhausting  and  laborious,  and 
our  colonel  had  made  several  efforts  to  obtain  an  order 
reducing  or  entirely  abolishing  the  guard,  but  without 
success.  After  things  had  continued  in  this  state  from 
four  to  six  weeks,  an  occurrence  took  place  which  entirely 
relieved  us  of  this  guard  duty;  it  happened  thus:  We 
had  enlisted  a  man  by  the  name  of  Tubs,  who  was  of 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  85 

fine  intellect,  and  had  been  the  recipient  of  a  liberal 
education;  but  spirituous  liquors  were  his  curse,  and  Tubs 
was  but  little  more  than  a  common  drunkard,  and  in 
fact  would  never  be  sober  when  he  could  get  liquor  on 
which  to  get  drunk.  This  man  was  on  guard  one  night, 
and  happened  to  be  stationed  on  our  line  where  it  com 
manded  the  Altamira  road,  and  it  appears  that  Gates, 
the  commander,  had  in  the  evening  gone  out  in  the 
western  portion  of  the  town,  purposes  unknown,  and 
about  eleven  o'clock  at  night  came  riding  in  and  advanced 
on  Tubs,  the  sentinel.  Tubs  challenged  him. 

The  general  replied,  "A  friend."  Tubs  said,  "Ad 
vance  and  give  the  countersign !"  The  general  replied, 
"I  am  General  Gates,  commander  of  this  post."  Tubs 
again  ordered  him  to  stand.  The  general  was  furious, 
and  made  a  move  as  though  he  would  force  the  guard, 
and  again  reiterated,  "  I  tell  you,  I  am  General  Gates, 
commander  of  this  post !"  When  click,  click,  went  the 
old  musket,  and  Tubs  said,  "  Advance  a  step,  and  I  will 
blow  your  head  off!  I  don't  know  General  Gates,  com 
mander  of  this  post,  but  I  know  I  am  commander  here." 
The  general  was  compelled  to  stand;  trembling  with 
rage,  he  said,  "Call  the  sergeant  of  the  guard  !  "  Tubs 
replied,  "  I  don't  want  the  sergeant  of  the  guard,  and  do 
you  remain  where  you  are  until  the  relief  comes;  and  if 
you  make  any  attempt  at  escape  I  will  shoot  you  !  "  He 
then  kept  the  old  general  frothing  and  swearing  an  hour 
and  a  half  until  the  relief  came,  when  Tubs  remarked  to 
the  serga&ut,  "  I  have  a  prisoner  there  who  could  not 
give  the  countersign;  he  says  he  is  General  Gates,  com 
mander  of  this  post,  but  any  man  could  say  that."  The 
sergeant  advanced  to  the  general,  saluting  him.  The 


86  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

general  demanded  :  "  Where  is  your  colonel  ?  call  him  !  " 
The  sergeant  went  to  the  colonel's  marquee,  called  him 
up,  and  told  him  who  awaited  him.  On  the  colonel's 
approach,  the  general  bellowed  out,  "  What  fool  have  you 
got  there  for  sentinel  ?  He  has  kept  me  standing  here 
a  prisoner  for  two  hours  ! " 

The  colonel  apologized  and  said  it  was  impossible  for 
the  sentry  to  know  him.  The  general  swore  vengeance 
against  poor  Tubs,  and  declared  he  would  have  him  se 
verely  punished.  He  then  turned  to  Colonel  Hicks  and 
said,  "  Remove  this  guard;  it  is  of  no  earthly  benefit,  and 
is  becoming  a  nuisance."  The  order  was  promptly 
obeyed;  Tubs  was  never  punished,  but  was  drunk  as  a 
lord  the  next  three  days,  the  boys  furnishing  all  the 
liquor  he  could  drink.  His  dissolute  course  atlast  proved 
too  much  for  his  organization,  and  in  about  two  months 
after  the  occurrence  referred  to,  the  boys  fired  a  farewell 
shot  over  his  grave,  and  we  left  him  to  take  his  final 
sleep  in  the  lowlands  of  Mexico. 

Things  began  to  assume  shape;  we  had  strengthened 
the  western  defenses  of  the  city  by  erecting  strong  field 
batteries  commanding  the  Altamira  road  on  the  north 
and  the  Panuco  River,  above  Tampico,  on  the  south  side, 
the  two  principal  points  from  which  an  attack  could  be 
made  from  the  interior.  On  the  north  side  of  the  river 
and  to  protect  us  from  attack  from  Pueblo  Viejo  or 
Tampico  el  Alto,  we  had  erected  heavy  batteries  below  or 
east  of  the  city  in  such  a  manner  as  to  protect  the  east 
and  south.  This  measure  was  deemed  highly  essential 
as  we  were  informed  that  there  was  a  heavy  force  of 
Mexicans  and  Indians  stationed  at  Tampico  el  Alto  med 
itating  a  descent  upon  Tampico.  This  information  pro- 


ty 

{  0NIVERSITY 

V      _    OF  y 

COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  •'  -"B7 

duced  such  an  effect  upon  our  commanding  general  that 
he  had  a  strong  guard  placed  all  around  the  city,  as  well 
as  patrols  in  different  directions;  and  this  was  a  very 
necessary  precaution,  for  at  the  time  we  had  not  pene 
trated  the  enemy's  country  more  than  fifteen  miles  in 
any  one  direction,  and  consequently  were  ignorant  of 
their  resources  or  forces,  or  at  what  time  or  point  we 
might  be  attacked  by  superior  numbers,  hence  all  was 
under  vigorous  military  discipline,  and  our  volunteers, 
as  a  general  thing,  had  assumed  the  appearance  of 
veterans. 

But  all  commands  have  their  exceptions;  we  had  our 
awkward  squad,  and  some  had  been  sick  ever  since  land 
ing  in  the  country,  having  had  no  opportunity  to  im 
prove  as  soldiers.  I  found  a  laughable  case  in  our  com 
mand;  he  was  an  Irishman  belonging  to  Company  A. 
Pat  had  been  in  the  hospital  most  of  the  time  since  our 
arrival  in  Mexico,  but  had  recovered  and  was  reported 
for  duty.  The  first  time  he  mounted  guard,  being 
wholly  ignorant  of  the  duties  or  responsibilities  of  his 
position,  or  the  penalties  attached  thereto,  he  comfort 
ably  seated  himself  beneath  a  shade  and  went  to  sleep. 
The  relief,  it  appears,  found  him  in  that  condition,  stole 
his  gun,  awakened  him,  and  placed  him  under  arrest; 
but  finding  him  so  wholly  ignorant  of  the  consequences 
of  his  act,  the  officers  of  our  command  concluded  not  to 
prefer  charges  against  him.  His  captain  gave  him  a 
severe  reprimand,  and  assured  him  that  if  he  was  ever 
again  found  asleep  at  his  post,  or  even  allowed  any  one 
to  get  possession  of  his  gun,  he  would  certainly  be  shot. 

One  night,  not  long  after  Pat  received  his  reprimand, 
I  was  on  duty  as  officer  of  the  day,  and  Lieutenant 


88  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Poleon  was  officer  of  the  guard;  as  we  were  riding  our 
grand  rounds  and   came   up  to  old   Fort   Ann,  at   the 
western  defenses  of  the  city,  I  saw  a  sentinel  walking 
his  post  as  large  as  life,  without  a  gun.      I  said  to  him, 
"  Where  is   your  gun,  sir?"   Pat  replied,   "And   that's 
what   yed   be   findin'  out  now ! "     I   said   peremptorily, 
*' Where  is  your  gun?"     Said   Pat  with  a  knowing  grin, 
"Tis  not  the  likes  o'  ye  I'd  be  tellin'  that  same  now." 
I  called  the  sergeant  of  the  guard,  and  ordered  the  fel 
low  under  arrest,  when  Pat  exclaimed:  "Ah  !  bad  luck 
to  the  day  I  iver  intered  the  army;  and  shure  the  captain 
tould  me  if  iver  I  lit  them  get  me  gun  again  they'd  shute 
me  like  a  dog,  and  now  here  I'm  bein'  arristed  for  not 
lettin'  him  get  it."     He  turned  his  head  and  seeing  Po 
leon,  exclaimed:  "  Shure  and  this  is  me  own  leftenant; 
tell  me,  mon,  fwhat  shall  I  do  ? "     Poleon  rode  up  to  the 
fellow  and  quietly  asked  him  what  he  had  done  with  his 
gun.     Pat  said,  "Will  they  not  shute  me  if  I  let  the 
spalpeens  git  me  gun  ?  "     Poleon  explained  to  the  Irish 
man  the  nature  of  his  duty,  and  after  a  while  he  began 
to  understand  the  condition  of  things.     At  Poleon's  re 
quest    I   had  him  released,  when    Pat  beckoned    us  to 
follow;  he  marched  to  the  other  end   of  his  beat  to  a 
heavy  piece  of   ordnance    in  battery,  and  running   his 
arm  down  the  bore  of  the  cannon,  drew  forth  his  musket; 
he  had  it  safely  hid  there  to  keep  the  "  spalpeens  "  from 
finding  it.     Pat  was  an  odd  stick,  but  turned  out  to  be 
a  good  soldier,  and  a  brave  man,  and  evinced  much  dar 
ing  at  Agua  Cotta. 

While  speaking  of  different  characters,  perhaps  it 
would  not  be  out  of  place  to  give  a  passing  notice  to  our 
New  Orleans  recruit.  At  Carlton,  a  quite  boyish  and 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  89 

good-looking  fellow  made  application  to  enlist;  was 
examined  by  the  mustering  officer,  received  and  mustered 
into  service.  When  we  had  been  in  Tampico  about  two 
months,  one  morning  a  good-looking  young  woman 
stepped  into  Colonel  Hicks'  quarters  and  said,  "  Good 
morning,  Colonel  Hicks,  I  have  become  tired  of  soldier 
ing,  and  would  like  my  discharge."  The  colonel  looked 
at  her  with  surprise,  and  remarked,  "  You  have  the  ad 
vantage  of  me;  I  fail  to  recognize  you."  She  laughingly 
answered,  "  Don't  you  know  your  New  Orleans  recruit  ?" 
The  colonel  seemed  rather  taken  aback  at  first,  but, 
rallying,  said,  "You  have  your  discharge,  but  whether 
it  is  honorable  or  not,  depends  on  yourself."  Though 
she  had  her  election,  I  fear  it  was  not  a  very  honorable 
one;  as  I  ofttimes  thereafter  saw  her  at  fandangoes  and 
other  public  places,  sometimes  in  male  and  sometimes 
in  female  attire.  She  followed  the  army  to  the  city  of 
Mexico,  where  I  lost  track  of  her. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR— CONTINUED. 

IN  writing  this  memoir  it  is  not  my  intention  to  repro 
duce  the   written    history   of  the   war    between  the 
United  States  and  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  nor  any  part 
of  it;  but  merely  to  refer  to  scenes  in  which  I  was  the 
principal  actor,  or   which   came   under    my  immediate 
notice.     Being  so  intimately  connected  with  self,  it  pre 
sents  an  appearance  of  egotism  that  I  most  keenly  feel, 
but  cannot  avoid;  hence  I  hope  those  who  may  think  it 
worth  their  while    to  trace   me  through  our  campaign 
7 


90  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

will  discard  theJdea  of  any  intent  on  my  part  to  lionize 
myself.  With  this  half  apology  I  shall  dismiss  that  part 
of  the  subject. 

In  a  previous  chapter  I  referred  to  Tampico  as  being 
the  most  sickly  place  in  the  world;  but  that  is  not  all  I 
have  to  complain  of.  There  is  scarcely  anything  that 
can  afflict  humanity  but  what  is  found  there.  In  the 
first  place  there  are  alligators  of  enormous  size;  they 
line  the  banks  of  every  stream  and  bayou;  land  crabs 
are  on  every  side  and  around  you;  lizards  and  swifts  run 
before  you  in  armies  of  thousands,  and  when  you  are 
seated  they  are  running  over  you  in  all  directions.  They 
run  over  your  food,  your  bed,  and  every  other  place;  in 
fact,  they  are  literally  your  bosom  companions;  while  the 
mosquitoes  and  gnats  are  inhaled  at  every  respiration; 
wood-ticks  of  several  different  kindswillattach  themselves 
to  your  person,  and  serve  you  very  badly;  the  jigger  is  a 
perfect  bore,  of  which  I  ofttimes  had  the  most  painful 
evidence;  and  centipedes  were  our  frequent  bed-fellows, 
but  they  were  small  and  their  bite  not  fatal,  though  very 
painful;  the  tarantulas  are  there,  not  numerous, but  very 
deadly  in  their  sting;  these  and  the  scorpions  are,  of 
all  the  poisonous  insects,  the  most  dreaded  by  the  natives. 
To  protect  us  against  the  mosquitoes,  Government  issued 
single  mosquito-bars  to  the  men;  each  was  furnished 
with  four  pins,  one  at  each  corner;  the  pins  were  stuck 
into  the  ground  and  sufficiently  raised  to  allow  a  man 
to  lie  under  it,  and  the  flaps  on  both  sides  would  lie  on 
the  ground;  this  did  very  well  for  mosquitoes,  land  crabs, 
and  lizards,  but  it  was  no  protection  against  gnats. 

After  we  had  been  stationed  at  Tampico  about  two 
months,  I  became  very  bilious,  and  was  attacked  with 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  91 

yellow  jaundice.  My  doctor  advised  me  to  ride  on 
horseback,  and  in  compliance  with  these  directions,  I 
had  been  riding  all  around  the  outskirts  of  the  city;  but 
this  was  too  limited,  and  it  would  not  do  to  take  the 
Altamira  road,  as  several  men  had  already  been  picked 
off  by  venturing  too  far  from  camp.  On  the  north  and 
east  side  of  the  city  there  was  a  dense  chaparral;  indeed, 
it  was  so  thick  that  a  bird  or  rabbit  could  scarcely  pene 
trate  it,  and  ranged  in  height  from  three  to  fifty  feet. 
Every  bush  was  provided  with  sharp  thorns;  in  fact, 
all  the  rank  grass  of  that  country  has  thorns  on  the  end. 
In  riding  along  the  edge  of  the  chaparral  one  day,  I 
noticed  a  roadway  or  tunnel  penetrating  it.  I  ventured 
in,  and  rode  for  some  time  in  a  regular  straight  tunnel, 
cleared  through  the  jungle;  the  work  had  the  appearance 
of  having  been  completed  for  a  long  time,  as  there  were 
no  stumps  or  roots  below,  nor  any  dry  and  withered 
branches  above;  once  in  a  while  I  could  see  where  a 
bush  had  lopped  down  sufficiently  to  obstruct  the  pas 
sage,  and  had  been  cut  away,  but  no  other  evidence  of 
recent  work  was  visible;  but  riding  along,  once  in  about 
every  quarter  of  a  mile  I  could  see  where  there  had  been 
a  narrow  trail  cleared  out.  which  looked  like  a  rabbit  or 
coon  trail,  leading  from  the  main  artery. 

The  first  day  I  rode  along  the  avenue  in  a  most  lovely 
soft  twilight,  entirely  shut  out  from  the  sun,  in  one 
unbroken  mass  of  chaparral  or  jungle,  I  should  suppose 
about  five  miles;  then  I  returned  to  camp  and  related 
my  adventures,  and  we  all  speculated  over  the  strange 
tunnel  through  the  dense  vegetable  mass;  but  I  had  as 
yet  formed  no  conception  of  its  use,  and  my  curiosity 
was  at  flood  tide.  I  was  resolved  to  further  prospect 


92  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

my  haunt  the  next  day,  for  as  yet  I  had  met  with  no 
adventure,  not  having  seen  a  living  being  on  the  route. 
Accordingly  the  next  morning  I  started  out;  it  was 
about  five  or  six  miles  from  the  city  to  where  I  entered 
the  chaparral,  having  to  make  a  circuitous  route  around 
a  small  lake,  or  laguna,  and-  wind  my  way  through 
patches  of  chaparral  and  open  ground,  before  I  came  to 
the  dense  mass.  Thus  the  entrance  to  the  hollow  pass 
was  concealed  from  the  lake  shore,  and  only  discovered 
by  chance  in  the  first  place;  but  having  a  good  horse 
under  me,  I  was  soon  at  the  entrance  of  the  passage.  I 
was  not  afraid  of  wild  animals,  although  jaguars  and 
American  tigers,  very  formidable  animals,  abounded  in 
that  region,  especially  the  latter;  but  the  brush  was  too 
thick  to  have  any  serious  apprehensions  of  that,  and  my 
only  fear  was  warlike  men.  I  was  satisfied  that  the 
slight  trails  that  I  had  seen  the  day  before  were  made 
by  men,  as  the  beasts  could  never  have  cleared  them 
out.  I  cautiously  continued  my  ride  that  day,  I  should 
think  about  eight  miles,  when  I  came  to  where  a  sim 
ilar  road  crossed  the  one  I  was  in,  at  right  angles. 

Not  having  seen  anything  larger  than  a  lizard  in  all 
my  ride,  I  turned  my  horse's  head  once  more  towards 
the  camp.  I  had  retraced  my  steps  about  four  or  five 
miles,  when  I  came  to  one  of  those  little  paths  closed  by 
a  dry  bush,  which  nearly  concealed  it.  I.  made  up  my 
mind  to  venture  on  an  exploration  of  its  mystery.  Ac 
cordingly  I  hitched  my  horse  and  removed  the  obstacle. 
Following  the  little  trail,  I  had  advanced  about  one  hun 
dred  yards,  when  all  of  a  sudden  I  emerged  into  an  open 
space  or  clearing,  and  was  surprised  to  see  before  me  an 
adobe  house,  out-sheds,  etc.,  and  a  field  of  about  two 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  93 

acres  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  There  were 
nice  corn,  sweet  potatoes,  beans,  melons,  etc.  A  large 
blood-hound  was  in  sight,  but  he  was  chained;  he  barked, 
growled,  and  made  a  desperate  effort  to  get  at  me;  his 
noisy  demonstrations  brought  a  man  out  of  the  house, 
who  was,  as  near  as  I  could  guess,  about  fifty  years  of 
age,  and  to  all  appearances  much  more  intellectual  and 
fairer  than  the  general  race  of  Mexicans.  He  was  un 
armed  and  seemed  friendly;  I  asked  him  by  motions 
and  imperfect  Spanish  for  a  drink  of  water;  he  got  a 
gourd,  and,  stepping  to  a  well,  drew  the  water  with  an 
earthen  bucket,  having  a  hole  on  each  side,  in  which  a 
rope  was  fixed  as  a  bail.  I  noticed  that  the  well  was 
about  twelve,feet  deep,  and  the  water  seemed  purer  than 
that  which  we  generally  got  at  Tampico.  He  main 
tained  a  gentlemanly  but  dignified  demeanor,  and  I 
could  see  that  his  astonishment  was  equal  to  my  own. 
I  returned  to  my  horse  and  made  my  way  home  to 
camp,  and  again  reported. 

After  this  I  daily  prosecuted  my  chaparral  rides  alone, 
as  before,  as  none  seemed  to  care  for  such  adventures. 
I  not  only  went  over  my  old  grounds,  but  followed  up 
the  newly  discovered  tunnel  in  an  easterly  direction  until 
I  came  out  into  open  ground  at  Altamira,  fourteen 
miles  from  Tampico,  and  afterwards  followed  the  other 
branch  in  an.  easterly  direction  until  I  came  out  at  the 
pilot  station  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tampico  River,  on  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico;  but  it  was  much  farther  than  to  reach 
the  same  point  by  the  regular  Tampico  road;  however, 
it  was  so  much  cooler  and  pleasanter  than  riding  in  the 
hot  sun  that  it  became  almost  my  daily  resort  while  rid 
ing  for  my  health.  I  now  began  to  prospect  my  foot- 


94  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

paths  more  thoroughly,  and  I  found  quite  a  numerous 
settlement  a  short  distance  back  in  the  chaparral  frorr 
the  main  tunnel  or  road;  but  after  prosecuting  this 
source  of  amusement  for  some  time,  I  had  occasion  to 
cut  it  short.  I  had  from  time  to  time  penetrated  the 
small  foot-paths,  and  visited  the  strange  people  who 
seemed  buried  from  the  outer  world.  They  seldom  went 
beyond  their  small  domains;  this  idea  was  strengthened 
by  the  fact  that  I  never  met  one  in  the  main  tunnel,  or 
hollow  pass;  each  place  had  its  rocks  and  fixtures  for 
grinding  up  corn  for  tortillas,  and  all  that  a  Mexican  in 
his  simple  mode  of  life  would  covet,  including  oranges, 
bananas,  and  plantains. 

But,  as  I  said,  I  had  occasion  to  cut  short  my  visits  to 
these  strange  hermitages;  it  happened  that  one  day  I 
followed  one  of  the  little  paths  to  an  inclosure,  arid 
found  the  occupant  with  a  long  cane  knife,  the  blade  of 
which  was  about  the  length  of  an  ordinary  sword  blade. 
He  seemed  to  be  hacking  away  at  some  chaparral  that 
was  invading  his  domain;  and  he  had  two  ferocious 
blood-hounds  with  him.  As  he  saw  me  approaching,  he 
seemed  much  excited,  and  at  a  word  from  him  the  two 
dogs  came  bounding  at  me  with  their  big  red  mouths 
open.  I  dared  not  retreat  further  than  where  the  trail 
opened  into  the  clearing,  as  they  were  too  near  upon 
me  to  allow  of  escape  to  my  horse;  I  accordingly  placed 
myself  in  the  entrance  of  the  trail,  facing  the  enemy. 
I  drew  my  revolver,  and  as  the  foremost  one  advanced 
to  within  about,  fifteen  feet  of  me,  I  shot  him.  He  fell 
and  began  yelping,  turning  round  and  round  upon  the 
ground;  at  this  the  other  retreated  a  few  paces.  When 
the  Mexican  saw  that  I  had  fired,  seeming  to  think 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  95 

that  my  piece  was  empty,  he  rushed  at  me  with  the  big 
cane  knife;  and,  encouraged  by  the  manner  of  his  master, 
the  other  dog  came  to  the  attack.  I  again  fired,  but 
missed.  I  cocked  and  fired  the  third  shot,  and  wounded 
the  second  dog.  The  Mexican  seemed  surprised  to  see 
me  keep  shooting,  apparently  having  no  idea  of  my 
weapon.  He  halted,  and  I  leveled  my  revolver  on  him, 
motioning  him  back  with  the  other  hand.  He  evidently 
had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  I  could  shoot  as  often 
as  I  pleased,  and  he  beat  a  retreat,  leaving  his  two  com 
rades  slaughtered  on  the  field  of  battle. 

Very  willing  to  leave  him  master  of  the  field,  I 
mounted  my  horse  at  the  main  alley,  and  soon  reached 
quarters  at  Tampico.  I  related  my  adventure  of  the 
day,  and  curiosity  regarding  these  strange  people  ran  so 
high  that  we  made  inquiries  of  the  people  of  Tampico 
as  to  who  or  what  they  were,  but  they  seemed  ignorant 
of  their  very  existence.  About  this  time  Capt.  C.  L. 
Wight,  of  Company  A,  concluded  to  accompany  me  on 
my  chaparral  ride;  he  said  he  would  go  out  with  me  in 
the  morning,  as  he  had  an  appointment  at  the  pilot  sta 
tion  at  two  o'clock  P.  M.  of  that  day,  and  that  he  must 
return  in  time  to  keep  it.  We  started  out  and  he  pene 
trated  the  chaparral  with  me  for  about  six  miles,  when  he 
drew  rein  and  said,  "  Norton,  this  is  wonderful,  but  for 
God's  sake  let  us  return!  I  don't  believe  that  white 
man's  horse's  hoofs  ever  pressed  this  soil  before;  and  you 
recollect  my  appointment  at  the  pilot  station."  I  begged 
him  to  give  me  just  one-half  hour  more  of  his  company, 
assuring  him  that  he  should  be  at  the  station  in  time, 
as  the  day  was  yet  young.  He  consented,  and  before 
the  half  hour  had  elapsed  I  brought  him  out  to  the 


96  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

pilot  station  on  one  branch  of  my  tunnel.  You  may 
imagine  his  surprise  at  this,  as  he  expected  that  we 
would  have  to  return  to  Tampico,  where  he  would  take 
the  road  to  the  station.  The  captain  told  the  officers  at 
the  station  of  all  the  explorations  I  had  made  on  my 
chaparral  rides,  with  his  own  peculiar  embellishments, 
until  he  quite  lionized  me  and  made  me  ashamed  of 
myself.  I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  this  recital 
savors  strongly  of  fiction;  but  I  have  given  the  simple 
facts  as  they  occurred,  and  am  satisfied  that  this  will 
meet  the  eyes  of  some  who  can  vouch  for  its  correctness. 

Information  reached  Tampico  one  evening  that  a 
noted  guerrilla  chief  with  his  band  had  made  a  descent 
upon  Tankesneca,a  small  trading-post  some  sixty  or  sev 
enty  miles  in  the  interior,  and  were  robbing  the  inhab 
itants  of  that  place.  Our  commander  was  resolved  to 
send  out  a  detachment  to  quell  them,  and  Company  I 
was  so  fortunate  as  to  be  selected  for  that  duty.  All 
was  hurry  and  bustle  in  our  camp,  as  we  were  preparing 
to  leave  in  the  morning.  The  expedition  was  a  leap  in 
the  dark,  for  all  we  knew.  We  had  to  ascend  the  Panuco 
River  in  large  dug-outs,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tamosee 
(by  our  geography  called  the  River  Lemon),  and  then 
follow  up  that  stream.  A  lofty  butte  stood  far  in  the 
west — a  spire-like  peak.  I  had  often  looked  upon  it  in 
the  blue  distance  as  it  reflected  the  last  rays  of  the  set 
ting  sun.  It  was  pointed  out  as  the  terminus  of  our 
trip;  we  were,  however,  provided  with  a  guide.  I  say 
we,  for  I  left  my  quartermaster  duties  with  my  quarter 
master-sergeant,  and  on  a  four-day  leave  of  absence,  as 
a  volunteer,  made  one  of  the  number. 

The   officers    consisted    of  Capt.  A.   Harvey,    Lieut. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  97 


S.  G.  Conkling  (now  Major  Conkling),  Lieut.  Hugh 
Fullerton,  and  myself;  although  two  or  three  other 
officers  accompanied  us,  they  took  no  command. 
Though  Capt.  A.  Harvey  was  nominally  in  command, 
I  don't  believe  he  was  much  counted  on.  as  I  received 
instructions  to  closely  observe  the  route,  and  to  make 
careful  measurement  of  depth  of  water,  calculation  of 
distance,  topography  of  country,  and  report  on  my  return. 
Captain  Harvey  and  Fullerton  constituted  one  officers' 
mess,  and  Conkling  and  myself  constituted  another.  We 
took  rations  for  four  days,  believing  we  could  make  the 
trip  in  that  time,  and  my  leave  of  absence  extended  no 
longer.  Conkling  and  myself  took  along  one  bottle  of 
brandy,  and  Harvey  and  Fullerton  supplied  themselves 
with  twelve  bottles;  and  I  may  as  well  admit  here  that 
from  some  misunderstanding  there  wasn't  the  very  best 
of  feeling  between  the  parties;  we  went  in  pairs.  All 
was  ready,  and  we  were  soon  on  board  and  sailing  up 
the  Panuco  River,  our  propelling  force  being  awkward 
Mexican  paddles  and  setting  poles. 

We  ran  up  the  Panuco  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tamosee 
in  about  three  hours.  The  country  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  for  two  or  three  miles  was  low  valley  land,  and 
extremely  fertile,  occupied  by  a  mixed  race  of  Mexi 
cans  and  Indians.  A  great  portion  of  the  land  was 
cultivated  in  sugar-cane.  I  was  told  they  planted  about 
once  in  seven  years,  and  as  fast  as  the  cane  was  cut  it 
sprouted  up  from  the  root  and  produced  another  crop. 
But,  like  Tampico  and  neighboring  towns,  it  was  very 
sickly.  The  alligators  were  lying  all  along  the  shores, 
basking  in  the  sun.  looking  like  so  many  old  gray  logs; 
rolling  into  the  water  with  a  splash  at  our  approach,  they 


98  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

would  disappear,  leaving  but  a  whirling,  bubbling  eddy 
behind.  The  shores  seemed  to  be  entirely  composed  of 
vast  deposits  of  mussel  shells.  On  reaching  the  Tam- 
osee  we  found  a  bar  of  these  shells  across  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  having  but  about  two  and  a  half  feet  of  water 
over  it. 

The  stream  was  running  like  a  mill-race;  it  ran  with 
such  rapidity  that  we  consumed  the  balance  of  the  day 
in  getting  our  canoes  over  the  bar  and  into  the  deep 
water  above.  The  shells  were  so  yielding  that  we  dis 
placed  many  tons  of  them  with  our  paddles  in  propell 
ing  the  canoes  up  the  swift  current  over  the  bar.  I  saw 
that  the  wheels  of  a  steamboat  constantly  worked  would 
soon,  together  with  the  action  of  the  water,  remove  the 
obstruction  to  navigation,  and  so  reported  on  my  return; 
upon  which  report  the  authorities  at  Tampico  acted,  and 
the  Red  Wing,  one  of  our  steamboats,  proved  the  cor 
rectness  of  my  views,  and  in  about  three  weeks  after 
ward  ran  to  Tankesneca. 

After  all  were  safely  over  the  bar,  we  made  prepara 
tions  for  camping,  Conkling  and  myself  occupying  a 
small  wall  tent.  While  Captain  Harvey  and  Fullerton, 
and  their  convivial  crowd,  camped  at  a  short  distance 
above  us.  They  had  a  regular  spree,  and  made  the 
night  hideous  by  their  jubilant  hurrahs  and  laughter. 
Next  morning  Captain  Harvey's  orderly  came  to  our 
tent  and  wanted  to  know  if  we  had  any  liquor;  that  the 
captain  was  very  sick  and  wanted  some.  Conkling 
replied,  "Tell  Captain  Harvey  that  he  cannot  get  a  drop 
here." 

Our  hasty  meal  over,  we  were  soon  aboard  and  under 
way.  The  stream  was  smooth,  deep,  and  sluggish, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  99 

although  the  water  was  sweet  and  generally  pretty  clear. 
There  was  on  either  side  of  the  stream  a  wide  and  fer 
tile  valley,  as  on  the  Panuco.  Back  of  the  bottom-land 
the  country  became  undulating;  and  with  a  gradual 
rise  became  hilly,  and  finally  in  the  distance  rose  into 
lofty  mountains.  This  is  the  Sierra  Madre  country,  and 
close  to  the  water  it  makes  a  picture  that  would  baffle 
all  description.  No  pen  or  pencil  could  portray  its 
native  beauty — one  must  see  it  to  appreciate  it. 

But  I  must  attempt  to  give  the  reader  some  faint  idea 
of  what  I  saw.  Along  each  shore  there  was  a  species 
of  reed,  the  stocks  from  one  to  four  inches  through, 
some  of  them  perhaps  more,  and  growing  to  the  height 
of  seventy  or  eighty  feet.  Up  these  reeds  ran  flowering 
vines  of  all  kinds  and  descriptions,  to  their  very  tops; 
and  over  these  hung  long  festoons,  the  heft  of  which 
bent  the  tops  of  the  reeds  toward  the  stream.  These 
vines  were  perennial,  were  clad  in  flowers  of  every  color 
and  hue,  and  appeared  as  though  planted  by  art;  once 
in  every  sixteen  or  twenty  feet  a  squash  vine  could  be 
seen  running  to  the  top,  mingling  with  the  other  vines, 
and  forming  the  festoons  spoken  of;  about  a  foot 
apart  were  hanging  little  yellow  squashes,  some  four 
inches  in  diameter,  looking  like  so  many  golden  bells, 
and  wherever  there  happened  to  be  a  small  space  in  the 
reeds, there  would  be  a  most  lovely  and  picturesque  bower, 
the  recess  being  completely  covered  with  vines.  This 
canopy  wholly  sheltered  us  from  the  sun,  and  continued 
for  many  miles. 

Emerging  from  the  scene  just  described,  the  face  of 
the  country  considerably  changed;  the  inhabitants  were 
very  few,  the  valley  was  narrow,  and  the  wooded  country 


100  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

came  clear  down  to  the  stream.  On  the  right  bank  was 
a  dense  forest  of  banyan  trees,  with  trunks  tied  together; 
a  limb  would  project  twenty  or  thirty  feet  from  the 
trunk,  from  the  under  side  of  which  were  pendants  reach 
ing  (down,  all  the  way  of  a  size  until  they  reached  the 
ground,  when  they  would  catch  the  earth,  take  root,  and 
in  their  turn  form  trunks,  throw  out  limbs,  and  then 
their  pendants  as  before.  And  thus  the  forest  was  so 
completely  tied  together  that  the  ax-men  could  only 
fell  a  tree  by  cutting  it  off  at  the  base  and  then  climbing 
up  and  cutting  ligatures  until  it  was  severed  from  its  sur 
roundings. 

The  forest  on  both  sides  of  the  river  seemed  alive  with 
game;  the  armadillos  swarmed  upon  the  shore,  looking 
like  pigs  with  shells  on  their  backs;  parrots  of  several 
kinds,  and  paroquets  without  number  made  the  woods 
resound  with  their  incessant  chattering.  Monkeys 
of  three  or  four  species  could  be  seen  capering  in  the 
trees  and  cutting  all  the  antics  peculiar  to  their  nature; 
wild  turkeys  were  in  great  abundance,  to  which  our  boys 
helped  themselves  without  stint;  wild  hogs  abounded, 
and  were  next  in  ferocity  to  the  jaguar  or  tiger. 

There  being  no  current  along  that  portion  of  the. 
river,  the  boys  made  a  good  run  until  about  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  when  we  were  informed  that  it  was 
much  farther  by  water  than  by  land — the  river  making 
a  large  bend.  It  was  therefore  concluded  that  we 
would  march  across  the  country,  and  leave  a  sufficient 
guard  to  protect  the  canoes.  On  the  trip  around  by 
water,  Lieutenant  Conkling  took  charge  of  the  canoes, 
while  I  marched  across  the  country  with  the  men.  Har 
vey  got  a  horse  and  found  himself  able  to  ride.  I  took 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  101 

charge  of  the  men,  and  commanded  the  march  across 
the  arid  plain,  with  the  sun  pouring  down  its  scorching 
rays  upon  us.  I  had  been  led  to  believe  that  a  three 
hours'  march  would  bring  us  to  Tankesneca;  but  our 
men  had  not  had  any  exercise  on  foot  for  four  or  five 
months,  and  some  of  them  having  been  in  the  hospital 
and  not  having  fully  recovered  their  strength,  this,  with 
the  intense  heat,  before  an  hour's  march  caused  many 
of  them  to  lag,  the  weaker  falling  to  the  rear.  I  then 
changed  the  order  and  marched  the  rear  in  front,  keep 
ing  the  stronger  back;  but  their  canteens  began  to 
give  out,  and  then  came  suffering  from  thirst,  and  no 
water  on  the  plains.  Finally,  I  found  it  impossible  to 
push  the  .men,  and  the  last  hour  before  sunset  we  did 
not  make  to  exceed  one  mile;  all  the  weaker  men  were 
exhausted  to  that  degree  that  I  was  compelled  to  camp 
on  the  open  plain  without  food  or  water. 

The  next  morning  at  day-break  we  renewed  the  march, 
and  arrived  at  Tankesneca  about  seven  o'clock,  taking 
the  people  by  surprise,  and  the  guerrilla  chief  prisoner, 
together  with  some  of  his  men;  but  I  soon  let  the 
men  go  and  held  on  to  their  leader.  The  canoes  ran 
most  of  the  night,  and  arrived  soon  after  us.  Captain 
Keneday,  who  was  also  of  the  quartermaster  depart 
ment,  and  a  volunteer  in  the  expedition,  walked  with 
me  to  the  river,  and  while  looking  across  at  a  great  dis 
tance  I  saw  an  animal;  I  called  his  attention  to  it,  and 
remarked  that  it  was  a  deer.  He  laughed  at  me  and 
said  it  was  a  calf.  I  knew  better;  I  could  see  that  wild 
motion  of  the  head,  differing  from  all  tame  animals.  He 
had  his  carbine  in  his  hand,  and  I  asked  him  to  take  a 
shot  at  it  any  way,  but  he  declined  to  do  so.  I  then 


102  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

asked  the  loan  of  his  gun,  and  cocking,  drew  a  sight 
about  two  feet  above  the  animal's  shoulders,  and  fired  ;  it 
disappeared,  and  I  declared  that  I  had  killed  it.  Call 
ing  a  couple  of  the  men,  I  got  a  canoe,  crossed  the 
river,  and  made  as  straight  to  the  place  as  I  could. 
After  a  short  search,  we  found  the  animal — a  fine,  large 
buck — lying  dead.  I  had  made  a  chance  shot,  shooting 
him  through  the  heart;  and  he  had  dropped  in  his  tracks. 
We  brought  the  deer  in,  dressed  and  cooked  it,  and  the 
fresh  meat  was  very  acceptable.  . 

While  the  men  were  resting  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
looking  about  me,  and  formed  some  idea  of  the  place. 
My  first  discovery  was  that  the  Tamosee  had  entirely 
changed  its  character  at  that  place.  From  a  deep,  slug 
gish  stream  it  was  transformed  into  a  rapid  mountain 
torrent;  a  ledge  of  rocks  was  entirely  across  it,  making 
a  natural  dam  about  six  feet  high,  forming  a  splendid 
water-power.  Around  us  was  a  large  and  fertile  valley, 
and  about  two  miles  distant,  like  a  vast  tower,  stood  the 
butte,  the  famous  landmark  toward  which  we  had  been 
traveling  for  so  long  a  time.  There  was  a  green,  grassy 
slope  all  around  it  for  about  half  a  mile  from  the  pin 
nacle  of  rock.  The  slope  where  it  joined  the  base  of 
the  column  was  probably  five  hundred  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  plain.  Then  the  mighty  giant  rose  so  per 
pendicularly  that  no  one 'could  ascend  it;  in  fact,  it  was 
the  most  remarkable  formation  of  the  kind  that  I  ever 
saw — similar  in  form  to  the  granite  columns  at  Slippery 
Ford,  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  only  much  higher  and  with 
greater  uniformity  of  shape. 

Tankesneca  was  a  collection  of  rude  huts,  occupied 
by  a  half-civilized  mixed  breed  of  Mexicans  and  In- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  103 

dians,  surrounding  the  trading-post  of  Darky  &  Co.,  of 
Tampico.  The  Indians  were  engaged  in  bringing  down 
logwood,  black  ebony,  and  other  valuable  timber  from 
the  mountains.  They  would  clear  the  sap  from  the 
sticks,  and  pack  them  on  their  backs  to  the  river  at  this 
point,  and  from  here  they  were  transported  in  large 
dug-outs  down-  the  river  to  Tampico,  the  market.  I  also 
learned  that  the  mountains  abounded  in  Mexican  cedar, 
and  also  contained  some  silver  mines.  The  climate 
seemed  delightful;  it  was  just  sufficiently  elevated  to  be 
above  the  sand-flies,  mosquitoes,  and  all  other  vermin 
that  infested  the  low  country.  Neither  yellow  fever  nor 
black  vomito  ever  reached  there,  and  all  in  all  I  think, 
by  nature,  it  was  the  most  delightful  place  I  have  ever 
visited.  In  fact  I  was  so  taken  with  the  place,  that  I 
fully  intended  that  in  case  I  lived  to  see  the  war  ended 
Tankesneca  should  be  my  home.  I  learned  that  Darky  & 
Co.  had  a  grant  of  seven  leagues,  including  the  best  and 
greater  portion  of  the  valley,  and  the  site  of  Tankesneca. 
I  was  further  informed  that  the  grant  could  be  purchased 
for  ten  thousand  dollars.  I  attempted,  on  my  return  to 
Illinois,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  to  get  up  a  colony  to 
settle  at  Tankesneca.  But  from  the  sparse  settlements 
of  the  West  and  the  great  inducements  there  offered  to 
settlers,  I  found  my  project  a  failure;  and  I  dared  not 
return  alone.  As  near  as  I  can  remember  the  points  of 
the  compass  now,  it  lies  a  little  north  of  west  of  Tam 
pico,  and  the  butte  referred  to  can  always  be  seen  from 
the  latter  place  in  fair  weather.  It  is  in  the  State  of 
Tamaulipas,  and  near  the  Potosi  line. 


104  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE    MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

AFTER  having  straightened  matters  at  Tankesneca 
as  well  as  was  possible  in  the  time  we  were  permitted 
to  remain  there,  we  took  to  our  dug-out  at  about  two  o'clock 
p.  M.  of  the  fourth  day  from  Tampico,  and  commenced 
our  descent  of  the  river.  A  severe  catastrophe  now 
befell  us:  we  had  run  out  of  rations,  and  the  country 
was  so  sparsely  settled  along  the  river  in  that  part  that 
it  was  difficult  foraging;  but  at  night-fall  we  tied  up  at 
the  bank  of  the  river  where  there  were  a  couple  of  small 
ranches,  made  friends  with  the  inhabitants,  and  set  the 
women  to  work  making  tortillas;  with  the  scanty  sup 
ply  they  furnished  by  working  all  night,  the  next  morn 
ing  we  were  enabled  to  advance  on  our  homeward  trip. 
No  incident  of  note  occurred  the  next  day,  and  about 
an  hour  before  sundown  we  again  tied  up  for  the  night 
at  a  small  ranch.  This  was  the  fifth  day  out  from  Tam 
pico,  and  the  next  day  at  two  o'clock  P.  M.  Captain 
Keneday  and  myself  were  to  receive  five  hundred  wild 
mules,  at  Tampico,  for  the  United  States  Government, 
and  receipt  for  the  same.  No  one  there  was  authorized 
to  do  it.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  We  did  not  expect  to 
be  absent  more  than  four  days,  and  that  was  the  extent 
of  our  leave  of  absence;  it  was  impossible  to  reach  Tam 
pico  in  less  than  two  days  by  the  river.  General  Gates 
was  of  the  regular  army,  a  harsh,  strict  disciplinarian, 
and  did  not  like  the  volunteers.  On  our  part  there  was 
no  love  lost;  we  had  asked  no  odds  and  expected  no 
favors,  and  if  we  had  we  would  have  been  disappointed, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  105 

as  it  seemed  to  give  him  infinite  pleasure  to  make  us 
toe  the  mark.  A  failure  to  comply  with  the  duties 
before  us  would  subject  us  to  court-martial,  and  I  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  to  be  in  Tampico  at  two  o'clock 
P.  M.  the  next  day  or  die  in  the  attempt.  I  made  this 
determination  known  to  Captain  Keneday;  and  told  him 
I  intended  to  procure  a  guide  and  horse  and  attempt  to 
make  the  trip  cross  the  country.  Learning  from  the 
Mexicans  where  we  landed  that  it  was  eighty  miles  by 
land  to  Tampico,  Keneday  remarked  that  I  shouldn't  go 
alone;  that  our  liabilities  were  equal,  and  our  dangers 
should  be  shared.  I  remonstrated  against  his  risking 
his  life  on  my  wild  venture,  but  he  was  firm  in  his  pur 
pose  to  go  with  me,  and  our  arrangements  were  soon 
made.  We  provided  ourselves  with  two  revolvers  each, 
with  a  carbine  and  a  heavy  service  saber,  and  thus 
loaded  with  iron  we  jumped  into  a  small  Indian  canoe, 
with  a  half-breed  in  each  end,  who  in  consideration  of  a 
fee  agreed  to  land  us  at  the  next  point,  where  we  could 
procure  horses  and  a-  guide. 

The  canoe  was  a  little  toppling  thing,  and  didn't  seem 
capable  of  carrying  over  two  persons,  but  our  guides 
kept  the  balance,  and  a  little  after  dark  we  arrived  at 
what  they  called  the  Point.  But  we  were  doomed  to  a 
disappointment  here,  for  there  was  nothing  at  the  Point 
but  squalid  young  ones  and  cross  dogs.  The  children 
informed  us  that  the  folks  had  gone  to  the  Rancho 
Ratonus,  to  a  fandango.  We  inquired  of  our  guides 
how  large  a  place  Ratonus  was;  they  informed  us  that  it 
was  but  small.  We  then  directed  them  to  lead  on 
to  Rancho  Ratonus,  which  they  said  was  two  leagues. 
We  told  them  that  any  attempt  to  betray  us  would  cost 
8 


106  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

them  their  lives,  and  they  set  forward  on  a  dog-trot, 
through  an  open  wood  at  first,  then  merging  into  a  chap 
arral  route,  similar  to  that  discovered  at  Tampico.  We 
continued  our  double-quick  for  nearly  two  hours  over  a 
level  country,  uninhabited  and  interspersed  with  open 
wood  and  chaparral  alternately.  We  made  a  sudden 
turn  to  the  right,  and  the  Rancho  Ratonus  lay  before 
us,  with  a  fandango  in  full  blast.  There  were  from 
eighty  to  a  hundred  Mexicans  and  as  many  women 
whirling  in  the  maze  of  the  waltz. 

Our  guides  suddenly  disappeared  in  the  crowd,  and 
without  their  pay.  A  great  confusion  ensued — a  hurry 
ing  and  screaming  of  the  women,  and  men  going  and 
coming;  the  music  ceased  and  in  fifteen  minutes  there 
was  not  a  woman  there.  It  was  "  presto  change;" 
instead  of  the  jolly  dance*  and  music  that  greeted  our 
first  appearance  on  the  scene,  there  was  now  only 
armed  men,  with  dark  brows  and  glaring  eyes,  and  gest 
ures  that  would  indicate  that  our  dooms  were  sealed, 
at  least  in  the  estimation  of  that  crowd;  and  I  began 
most  seriously  to  concur  in  that  opinion  myself,  for  in 
every  face  I  could  read  that  of  my  executioner.  We 
were  now  completely  surrounded  by  nearly  a  hundred 
of  as  well-appointed,  dark-visaged  cut-throats  as  I  ever 
saw,  and  all  armed;  some  with  escopets,  some  with 
swords,  and  others  with  long  cane  knives.  Their  declara 
tion  of  war  on  us  was  so  unequivocal  that  we  made  no 
secret  of  our  intentions,  each  drawing  and  cocking  a 
revolver  and  facing  in  opposite  directions — we  were 
determined  to  sell  our  lives  for  the  greatest  possible 
number  of  dead  Mexicans.  The  most  superficial  glance 
at  the  faces  of  the  demons  that  surrounded  us  showed 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  107 

that  no  quarter  could  be  looked  for.  The  crowd  was  so 
thick  around  us  that  they  could  not  shoot  without  kill 
ing  some  of  their  own  men.  Should  a  rush  be  made 
upon  us  of  course  we  would  be  overpowered.  To  pre 
vent  this  we  told  them  to  keep  back,  and  each  with  a 
cocked  revolver  in  one  hand  and  a  carbine  in  the  other, 
admonished  them  that  the  first  who  advanced  would  be 
likely  to  get  hurt,  let  the  issue  be  what  it  might. 

We  remained  in  this  unenviable  position  for  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes,  when  an  idea  crossed  my  brain 
which  I  must  ever  believe  saved  our  lives.  I  said,  Have 
you  an  alcalde  here?  They  replied  in  the  affirmative. 
I  told  them  I  wanted  to  speak  with  him.  A  little  fat, 
greasy  old  Mexican  came  forward  and  announced  him 
self  that  functionary.  I  informed  him  that  we  were 
American  officers;  that  our  command  had  encamped 
at  that  river,  and  were  to  be  at  that  place  at  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  that  he  would  be  held  responsible 
for  our  safety;  if  any  harm  befell  us  there,  that  the 
entire  place  would  be  massacred;  that  we  wanted  horses 
and  saddles  and  a  guide  to  conduct  us  to  Tampico,  for 
which  we  would  liberally  pay.  He  retired  into  the 
crowd,  and  after  a  few  moments  I  noticed  that  those 
human  devils  increased  the  distance  between  us  by  fall 
ing  back  a  little,  which  seemed  to  be  a  favorable  omen. 

In  a  little  time  the  alcalde  again  made  his  appear 
ance  (and  no  doubt  he  had  been  consulting  our  treach 
erous  guides  as  to  the  truth  of  my  statements  about 
the  troops);  he  said  they  had  the  horses,  but  he  did  not 
think  he  could  get  the  saddles.  I  replied  that  it  was  rather 
singular  as  large  a  place  as  Ratonus  could  not  furnish 
three  saddles.  He  said  he  would  try  and  procure  them, 


108  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  again  left  us.  In  something  more  than  an  hour  the 
guide  appeared  with  the  alcalde.  They  brought  a 
mustang  for  Keneday,  an  active,  spirited,  nervous  beast; 
and  for  me,  a  very  fine-appearing  mule,  large  for  a 
Mexican  and  very  sleek  and  fat.  As  soon  as  I -mounted, 
I  saw  that  he  was  a  slow,  lazy  animal,  and  I  remarked 
to  Keneday  that  we  must  look  out,  that  there  was  more 
treachery  to  be  feared.  "  They  intend  to  separate  us, 
and  this  last  hour  that  they  have  -kept  us  waiting  is  not 
for  nothing."  I  then  drew  my  saber,  encased  in  the  old 
steel-ringed  scabbard,  brought  the  flat  of  my  weapon  a 
few  times  across  the  rump  of  my  mule  and  waked  him 
up.  We  rode  from  Ratonus,  and  I  kept  repeating  the 
operation  with  the  mule  until  he  was  fairly  aroused. 
Every  time  the  scabbard  would  ring,  the  mule  would 
jump  for  dear  life. 

After  we  were  fairly  out  of  Ratonus  we  came  to  a 
halt  and  examined  our  guide;  he  was  a  young  fellow, 
not  more  than  twenty  years  of  age,  and,  like  many  others 
of  the  inhabitants  of  those  parts,  a  mixture  of  Mexican 
and  Indian.  We  told  him  that  any  movement  on  his 
part  engendering  a  suspicion  that  he  intended  to  betray 
us,  or  any  attempt  to  desert  us,  would  most  assuredly 
cost  him  his  life;  but  if  he  took  us  through  to  Altamira 
all  safe,  we  would  give  him  five  dollars  extra.  Through 
fear  of  punishment  on  the  one  hand  and  hope  of  gain 
on  the  other,  the  fellow  seemed  to  identify  himself  with 
our  cause.  He  then  told  us  that  the  mule  on  which  I 
was  riding  was  very  old,  and  he  did  not  think  it  could 
stand  it  to  go  to  Altamira  in  the  way  that  we  expected 
to  ride.  We  now  understood  our  situation  so  far  as  our 
guide  was  concerned,  but  I  could  not  divest  my  mind  of 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  109 

the  suspicion  that  there  was  some  treachery  to  be  appre 
hended;  and  I  had  the  thing  put  up  in  my  own  mind 
in  this  way:  that  the  story  of  the.  men  coming  there  in 
the  morning  was  fully  believed  by  them,  as  they  had 
undoubtedly  consulted  with  our  treacherous  guide,  who 
knew  that  the  force  of  which  I  spoke  was  on  the  river 
bank  encamped,  and  as  to  their  further  intentions  of 
course  these  fellows  were  ignorant;  hence  they  expected 
them  there  at  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning,  and  it  would 
not  do  to  murder  us  in  the  little  town,  for  fear  of  the 
punishment  threatened.  And  to  avoid  this,  and  still 
accomplish  their  purposes,  I  believed  that  the  last  hour 
they  kept  us  waiting  for  our  horses  was  employed  in 
preparing  an  ambuscade  somewhere  on  our  road.  We 
hurried  on,  these  thoughts  occupying  my  mind,  when 
the  report  of  a  gun  was  heard  far  in  the  rear;  of  course 
it  was  too  far  off  to  have  been  fired  at  us,  and  I  at  once 
made  up  my  mind  that  it  was  fired  as  a  signal,  and 
remarked  so  to  Keneday.  We  must  then  have  been 
four  or  five  miles  on  our  journey  from  Ratonus,  and  we 
had  advanced  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  after  the  report 
of  the  gun  when  Keneday  remarked  to  me: — 

"  Do  you  see  that  fellow  ?  " 

I  replied  that  I  saw  something.  Keneday  said  he  had 
just  rode  behind  a  clump  of  brush  to  the  left  of  the  road. 
The  old  scabbard  rang,  and  sword  in  hand  I  charged 
around  the  brush,  and  sure  enough  there  was  a  man. 
As  I  came  up  to  him  he  took  off  his  hat,  and  in  the 
cringing  manner  peculiar  to  his  race,  said,  "  Senor."  I 
asked  him  in  my  best  Mexican  (which,  no  doubt,  was 
bad  enough)  what  he  was  doing  there.  He  said  he  was 
hunting  his  horses.  I  remarked  that  twelve  o'clock  at 


110  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

night  was  a  singular  time  to  be  hunting  horses,  and 
directed  him  to  dismount,  which  he  did.  On  examining 
him  I  found  no  arms  excepting  his  sheath  knife,  and  a 
very  long  lariat  on  his  horse.  I  then  examined  his  ani 
mal  as  well  as  I  could  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
it  was  a  very  good  one,  consequently  I  made  a  trade, 
and  got  the  long  lariat  to  boot.  I  mounted  the  horse 
and  directed  the  prisoner  to  mount  the  mule;  marched 
him  out  in  the  road,  and  directed  the  guide  to  ride  ahead. 
Keneday  rode  next  the  guide,  my  prisoner  next,  and  I 
brought  up  the  rear. 

We  rode  in  this  order  about  half  a  mile,  where 
a  grove  of  small  trees  appeared  on  our  left,  when  all 
of  a  sudden  there  was  a  general  rush,  rattling  of  arms, 
and  excitement,  close  to  where  we  were  passing.  The 
old  scabbard  rang,  and  my  horse  sprang  forward;  I  gave 
the  old  mule  a  whack,  as  I  came  up  to  him ;  he  sprangaside, 
and  away  we  went,  but  we  presently  got  a  volley  by  way 
of  salute  from  the  rear,  followed  by  the  clatter  of  horses' 
hoofs.  We  put  our  horses  to  the  top  of  their  speed  for 
the  next  hour,  having  discharged  our  carbines  in  the 
rear  at  the  first  sound  of  hoofs  behind  us.  We  now 
reached  a  deep,  sluggish  stream,  the  ferryman,  house, 
and  boat  all  on  the  opposite  bank.  We  hallooed  and 
awoke  the  ferryman,  who  soon  took  us  across  in  «i  dug 
out,  swimming  our  horses.  When  once  across,  we 
seized  the  canoe  and,  making  the  ferryman  and  guide 
assist,  drew  it  'out  of  the  water,  and  up  the  bank  so  far 
from  the  water  that  a  single  man  could  not  get  it  back 
in  an  hour.  We  then  thought  of  tying  the  ferryman, 
but  time  \vas  precious  with  us,  and  we  concluded  on  the 
whole  that  it  would  do  very  well  as  it  was. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  Ill 

We  continued  our  trip  for  about  two  hours  unmolested, 
when  we  came  to  another  stream  (or  perhaps  the  same) 
with  a  ferry  like  the  first.  As  in  the  first  instance,  we 
got  across  and  secured  the  boat.  We  now  rode  on  feel 
ing  very  safe.  There  were  no  towns  and  but  few 
inhabitants  along  the  route  we  were  pursuing,  and 
presently  the  wolves  began  to  howl  as  though  they 
would  howl  a  man  off  his  horse.  I  knew  then  there 
were  no  Mexicans  around,  and  those  brindle  devils,  for 
once,  made  music  to  my  ears". 

It  was  now  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at 
eight  we  reached  Altamira  without  further  incident 
worthy  of  note.  We  met  our  friend  Major  Jerolt  just 
in  time  to  take  a  nice  breakfast  with  him.  The  major 
wanted  to  know  where  we  had  dropped  from.  We  told 
him  we  had  come  from  Rancho  Ratonus,  relating  the 
whole  adventure.  The  major  exclaimed,  "  The  Rancho 
Ratonus!  Well,  the  devil  surely  protects  his  own! 
Why,  that  Rancho  Ratonus  is  the  worst  guerrilla  hole 
in  all  Mexico!  It  is  not  two  weeks  since  I  was  forced 
to  send  out  two  companies  of  cavalry  to  quiet  that  same 
Rancho  Ratonus.  They  were  robbing  and  murdering 
their  own  inhabitants,  and  how  you  ever  escaped  with 
your  lives  is  a  miracle."  Refreshed  with  a  good  break 
fast  and  a  cigar,  we  were  again  prepared  for  action.  We 
discharged  our  guide,  and  paid  him  off  with  the  five 
dollar  bonus  promised  him.  Major  Jerolt  furnished  us 
a  couple  of  fresh  horses  and  we  arrived  at  Tampico  at 
one  o'clock  P.  M.,  received  and  receipted  for  the  mules, 
and  thus  ended  one  of  the  most  dangerous  adventures 
ever  undertaken  by  me  in  Mexico. 

On   my  return  from  the  exciting  expedition  narrated 


112  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

previously,  I  found  that  there  were  extensive  prepara 
tions  going  on  for  the  great  annual  festival,  or  fandango, 
which  was  to  be  held  at  Tampico  Viejo  (or  Pueblo  Viejo). 
Crowds  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  States  of  Ta- 
maulipas  and  Vera  Cruz  at  that  once  famous  but  now 
ruined  city.  Accordingly  when  the  day  came  for  the  cele 
bration,  some  forty  or  fifty  of  the  officers  of  our  command 
stationed  at  Tampico  visited  the  scene  of  the  festivities. 
This  ancient  town  is  situated  about  eight  miles  from 
Tampico,  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Tampico,  and  is  reached 
from  Tampico  by  boats  or  small  crafts,  up  the  outlet 
of  the  lake  into  the  Tamaulipas  (or  Tampico)  River.  It 
is  said,  but  I  don't  know  with  how  much  truth,  that 
when  Pueblo  Viejo  was  a  flourishing  .city  large  crafts 
could  easily  reach  its  docks.  The  story  is  at  least  proba 
ble,  for  the  only  obstruction  at  the  present  day  is  a  vast 
bar  of  the  mussel  shells  which  abound  in  that  country. 
But  at  the  present  day  there  is  a  swift  current  running 
from  the  lake  into  the  river,  a  distance  of  about  four 
miles.  The  lake  must  lie  ten  or  fifteen  feet  higher 
than  the  river,  and  the  same  distance  above  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. 

The  town  of  Pueblo  Viejo  is  situated  upon  a  narrow 
neck  of  land  running  between  the  gulf  and  Tampico 
Lake,  with  a  large  level  country  lying  to  the  north, 
interspersed  with  lakes,  rivers,  and  chaparral;  while  to 
the  south  and  east  it  is  protected  from  the  coast  by  a. 
point  of  land,  rising  several  hundred  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  The  site  of  the  town  is  from  ten  to  fifty  feet 
above  the  lake,  commencing  near  the  water  and  sloping 
back  to  the  hills;  but  the  acclivity  is  so  gentle  that  it 
would  hardly  be  noticed,  and  the  whole  town  is  situated  in 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  113 

a  cove  resembling  that  of  Cincinnati,  only  on  a  much 
larger  scale;  for  everything  there  indicates  that  some 
day  far  back  in  the  dim  past,  Pueblo  Viejo  was  the  great 
emporium  of  an  intelligent  and  highly  civilized  people 
On  every  side  lie  the  evidences  of  that  civilization; 
ancient  ruins  of  what  at  some  day  had  been  noble  edi 
fices,  but  the  only  evidence  of  the  time  when  they 
flourished  was  the  mass  of  trees  and  shrubbery  that 
covered  the  ground  where  they  once  stood.  I  remember 
in  one  place  a  large  oak  stood  with  its  massive  trunk  on 
one  side  of  a  wall  that  was  its  only  rest;  its  roots  ran 
through  and  descended  on  the  other  side  some  four  or 
five  feet  to  meet  the  ground — the  tree  was  two  and  a 
half  to  three  feet  through.  Next  to  the  hill  lies  a 
massive  pile,  with  heavy  -stone  columns  lying  in  every 
direction;  I  had  no  means  of  ascertaining  the  extent  of 
the  superstructure,  but  it  was  immense.  I  cannot  pre 
tend  to  describe  the  magnitude  of  this  ruined  city,  as  I 
never  had  sufficient  time  for  investigation;  and  I  do  not 
presume  to  say  that,  like  Pompeii,  it  was  either  swallowed 
up  by  an  earthquake  or  entirely  covered  by  the  hand 
of  time.  Out  of  the  ruins  of  that  once  famous  city  the 
present  inhabitants  have  erected  themselves  dwellings; 
and  Pueblo  Viejo  now  contains  about  three  thousand 
inhabitants,  who  wander  over  its  evidences  of  former 
magnificence  with  about  as  much  thought  or  inquiry  as 
that  other  portion  of  the  animal  race  which,  with  long  ears 
and  docile  mien,  crops  the  grass  that  springs  up  between 
the  disjointed  rocks  strewn  over  the  ground. 

There  is  one  relic  of  the  ancient  greatness  of  Pueblo 
Viejo  that  seems  to  bid  defiance  to  decay — that  is  the 
extensive  baths;  a  stream  of  pure  water  is  brought  from 


114  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

the  hills  and  emptied  into  a  series  of  stone  vats,  twelve 
to  fifteen  feet  wide  and  about  thirty  long.  They  num 
ber  about  forty,  and  each  is  situated  a  little  lower  than 
the  other,  say  six  inches,  and  as  the  water  fills  the  upper 
one,  the  masonry  being  a  little  the  lowest  next  to  the 
adjoining  reservoir,  or  vat,  with  the  two  outer  walls 
higher,  it  flows  to  the  next,  and  so  on  till  they  are  all 
filled,  being  six  or  seven  feet  deep.  There  is  a  rock 
terrace,  or  pavement,  about  twenty  feet  wide,  running  the 
whole  length  of  these  reservoirs  and  below  the  top  of 
the  water  wall  about  three  feet.  Standing  on  this  ter 
race,  or  pavement,  were  frequently  hundreds  of  Mexican 
women  and  girls,  some  washing  their  linen,  but  the 
major  portion  engaged  with  large  brown  earthenware 
vessels,  holding  from  five  to  seven  gallons,  smaller  at  the 
base  than  at  the  center,  bulging  outward,  then  contract 
ing  to  about  eight  inches  across  the  top.  These  contained 
corn,  soaked  in  alkali  to  start  the  hulls.  They  fill  the 
vessel  with  water,  set  it  on  the  pavement,  and,  putting 
both  feet  into  the  small  opening,  perform  a  regular  tread 
mill  operation;  they  stamp  away  until  the  hulls  are 
loosed  from  the  corn,  then  set  the  vessel  on  the  massive 
stone  wall,  about  two  and  a  half  feet  thick,  making  a 
solid  base  of  operations,  where  they  wash  the  corn;  it  is 
rubbed  and  put  through  a  great  number  of  washings, 
until  it  is  cleansed  and  all  hulls  removed;  then  it  is  deemed 
ready  to  be  manufactured  into  tortillas.  This  practice 
has  continued  upon  the  wall  for  such  a  length  of  time  that 
there  are  holes  worn  into  the  solid  granite  rocks  several 
inches  deep,  presenting  the  appearance  of  mortars.  But 
I  have  indulged  in  describing  the  mouldering  ruins  of 
what  was  once  a  great  city  beyond  my  first  intention, 
and  I  will  now  abandon  them  and  come  back  to  life. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  115 

I  started  in  to  tell  of  the  great  fandango,  or  festival, 
to  come  off  at  Pueblo  Viejo.  First,  imagine  a  very 
large  and  "smooth  plaza,  with  two  rows  of  booths  around 
the  outer  edges,  presenting  everything  in  the  shape  of 
edibles  and  drinkables  in  the  Mexican  market,  and  the 
balance  of  the  plaza  covered  by  awnings  of  palmetto 
leaves,  so  as  to  shelter  it  from  the  sun  by  day  and  shield 
the  lamps  from  the  wind  at  night  Next,  the  music- 
stands  were  arranged  at  suitable  distances,  so  to  accom 
modate  the  whole  grounds,  with  the  gambling  tables. 
The  music  generally  consisted  of  violins,  guitars,  and 
some  other  stringed  instruments,  but  what  they  lacked  in 
variety  they  made  up  in  quantity.  On  this  occasion  I 
suppose  there  were  not  less  than  seven  or  eight  thousand 
and  perhaps  more,  men,  women  and  children  of  all  ages 
mingling  together,  seeming  to  have  but  one  object  in 
view,  and  that  enjoyment.  It  was  a  pleasing  spectacle 
to  see  thousands  at  once  in  the  giddy  whirl  of  the  waltz, 
and  such  waltzing  I  never  saw  before.  The  Mexicans, 
both  men  and  women,  excel  in  the  grace  of  that  art. 
Some  were  dancing,  some  eating,  some  drinking,  and 
some  gaming;  in  the  latter  amusement,  the  padres  took 
a  prominent  part.  Monte  cards  and  dice  were  the 
principal  agents  used;  but  there  were  dozens  of  differ 
ent  games  that  I  never  observed  before  nor  since.  Little 
boys,  five,  six,  and  seven  years  old,  would  be  seated  on 
mats  with  the  regular  games  of  monte,  playing  where 
the  stakes  were  stubs  of  cigars  or  some  trifling  trinket, 
while  among  the  more  aristocratic  the  old  don  would  be 
risking  several  ounces  on  the  turn  of  a  card.  But  I 
have  noticed  that  in  all  the  playing  that  I  ever  saw  at 
monte,  the  "cabala"  is  the  favorite  card  with  the  Mexi- 


116  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

can,  and  he  seems  to  risk  his  money  with  more  confi 
dence  on  it  than  on  any  other  card. 

The  police  regulations  are  conducted  with  a  great  deal 
of  propriety  and  vigor.  During  this  fandango,  a  noted 
robber  chief  found  his  way  into  the  crowd,  but  was  rec 
ognized  by  the  police.  I  saw  quite  a  rush  and  excite 
ment  of  parties  running  to  a  certain  point.  Curiosity 
prompted  me  to  follow,  as  well  as  several  other  officers. 
On  arriving  at  the  place  I  discovered  a  regular  sword 
combat  between  two  expert  swordsmen;  they  seemed  to 
be  about  equal  in  strength  and  skill,  and  each  evidently 
meant  death  to  his  antagonist.  There  did  not  seem  to 
be  any  one  inclined  to  interfere,  and  the  contest  was  long 
and  desperate;  both  had  received  several  slight  wounds; 
finally  one  made  a  desperate  lunge  at  his  opponent, 
which  was  skillfully  parried  by  the  other,  and  before  the 
thrusting  party  could  fairly  recover,  the  other  ran  him 
through  the  body,  and  in  fact  shoved  the  hilt  of  his 
sword  nearly  to  the  breast  of  his  foe,  who  fell,  the  blood 
spurting  from  his  mouth -and  nostrils,  and  expired  with 
out  uttering  a  word  or  even  a  moan.  I  then  for  the  first 
time  got  an  opportunity  to  take  a  fair  look  at  the  suc 
cessful  gladiator,  and  to  my  astonishment  there  stood 
before  us  as  fine  a  native  of  Erin's  green  isle  as  ever 
crossed  the  briny  ocean.  Light  blue  eyes,  a  rather  florid 
complexion,  light  chestnut  hair,  sandy  whiskers,  with  full 
red  lips,  and  a  certain  undefiable  air  that  is  impossible  to 
mistake  in  a  regular  Irish  countenance.  Some  of  our 
officers  addressed  him  in  English,  of  which  he  did  not 
seem  to  understand  a  single  word;  but  through  an  inter 
preter  we  learned  that  he  claimed  to  be  a  Mexican,  was 
born  in  the  country,  and  looked  upon  his  ancestors  as 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  117 

Mexicans,  without  any  knowledge  of  their  ever  having 
emigrated  from  any  other  country.  He  stood  very  high 
in  the  police  force,  and  seemed  to  be  very  proud  of  his 
last  achievement;  from  what  we  could  gather  from  the 
alcalde  and  other  leading  men  of  the  place,  they  had 
long  been  trying  to  capture  the  slain  man,  he  being  one 
of  the  most  desperate  characters  that  had  for  a  long 
time  visited  the  neighborhood.  The  fandango  closed  in 
eight  days,  and  with  it  I  will  close  my  description  of 
Pueblo  Viejo;  notwithstanding  I  know  friend  Conklingj 
could  he  see  me,  would  ask  why  I  neglected  to  tell  about 
the  castor-bean  stalk,  or  rather  tree,  beneath  whose  shade 
we  lay;  but  my  answer  is,  that  we  then  agreed  that  it 
would  not  do  to  tell,  and  hence  I  leave  it  out  among 
many  other  things  that  would  be  treated  as  absurdities 
by  those  unacquainted  with  that  climate. 


CHAPTER     XIV. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

WE  had  all  returned  from  Pueblo  Viejo,  each  one 
having  his  private  adventures  of  the  fandango 
treasured  up  to  communicate  to  some  of  his  favorite 
companions-in-arms,  which  was  calculated  to  swell  the 
budget  of  camp  news,  when  it  was  announced  that  a 
great  cock-fight  was  to  come  off  the  next  evening, 
and  that  Colonel  Derusa  of  the  Louisiana  regiment,  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Marks,  who  were  both  sporting  men, 
had  each  procured  a  very  fine  fowl,  and  that  the  birds 
were  to  be  pitted  against  each  other  on  that  occasion. 
I  walked  into  the  cockpit  in  company  with  Captain 


118  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Harvey,  and  saw  that  the  two  cocks  referred  to  had  been 
fitted  out  with  sharp  steel  gafts,  and  were  already  far 
advanced  in  their  deadly  combat  when  we  entered.  I 
noticed  that  Colonel  Derusa's  bird  was  the  larger,  and 
to  all  appearance  fresh  compared  with  the  other,  and 
would  undoubtedly  be  the  victor  in  the  fight;  every 
time  they  came  together  and  made  a  pass  at  each 
other,  Colonel  Marks'  bird  would  drop  to  the  earth  as 
though  he  were  dead,  and  would  come  to  time  badly  and 
drop  again  as  though  entirely  exhausted.  Captain 
Harvey,  who  had  been  indulging  pretty  freely,  insisted 
on  betting  me  a  dollar  on  the  result  of  the  fight.  I 
thought  it  would  be  almost  like  stealing  his  money  to 
bet,  as  I  looked  upon  Marks'  bird  as  being  "  a  dead  cock 
in  the  pit;"  yet  he  insisted,  and  as  I  had  never  won  a  bet 
in  my  life,  I  just  thought  I  would  win  one,  so  I  told  him 
I  would  bet  on  Colonel  Derusa's  rooster.  The  fight 
went  on  for  about  fifteen  minutes,  Marks'  bird  falling 
and  lying  apparently  exhausted,  waiting  for  the  men 
having  charge  of  him  to  set  him  on  his  pins  before  he 
was  ruled  out  of  time.  After  many  passes  of  this  kind 
they  came  together,  and  Marks'  bird  drove  both  his 
gafts  through  the  head  of  his  opponent,  killing  him  on 
the  spot.  So  I  lost  my  small  bet,  and  learned  the  lesson 
that  it  will  not  always  do  to  bet  against  dead  things. 

As  I  have  commenced  this  chapter  with  an  anecdote, 
I  believe  I  will  continue  it  by  relating  one  or  two  that  I 
have  heretofore  not  noticed.  When  we  had  been  in 
Tampico  about  six  weeks,  an  Irishman,  a  private  in 
Company  A,  got  into  a  row  with  a  Mexican;  an  alterca 
tion  ensued,  and  the  Irishman  killed  the  Mexican;  was 
arrested,  and  imprisoned  to  await  trial.  Our  judiciary 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  119 

was  organized  by  adopting  the  laws  of  Louisiana;  and  it 
was  farther  determined  that  neither  Mexican  nor  private 
soldier  could  sit  on  the  jury  for  the  trial  of  the  Irishman, 
who  had  been  indicted  for  murder;  hence  commissioned 
officers  of  the  army  were  the  only  eligible  jurors.  The 
jury  was  impaneled  and  sworn,  and  the  case  proceeded, 
the  judge-advocate  for  the  people,  and  Col.  S.  G.  Hicks 
for  the  defendant.  Witnesses  were  produced  for  the 
people,  proving  the  killing,  and  among  other  testimony, 
a  Mexican  swore  that  the  prisoner  spoke  good  Spanish. 
The  defense  offered  evidence  tending  to  show  that  the 
killing  was  in  self-defense. 

After  the  testimony  was  in.  the  attorneys  made  their 
arguments;  and  when  Colonel  Hicks  came  to  the  part  of 
the  Mexican's  testimony  where  he  testified  that  the  pris 
oner  spoke  good  Spanish,  Hick's  remarked:  "  And  they 
swear  that  he  spoke  good  Spanish;  I  suppose  that  he 
talked  Spanish  about  as  well  as  one  of  my  cavalrymen 
did  who  was  out  with  me  last  year;  the  fellow's  horse 
had  escaped;,  seeing  a  Mexican  sawing  wood  on  the  side 
of  the  street,  he  exclaimed:  'Halloo!  hombre,  did  you 
see  a  bobtailed  cabello  vamosing  down  the  street,  without 
any  saddle  on  him?'  'No  intende'  (I  do  not  under 
stand),  was  the  response.  The  soldier  indignantly  re 
plied:  'Confound  you,  can't  you  understand  your  own 
language  ? ' — forgetting  that  he  had  used  but  three  words 
of  Spanish  in  the  whole  lingo."  He  then  went  on  to 
show  that  the  soldier  came  from  Ireland  about  three 
years  before,  and  had  worked  in  the  Galena  lead  mines 
until  he  volunteered  to  come  to  Mexico;  that  he  was 
an  uneducated  man,  and  probably  never  saw  a  Mex 
ican  in  his  life  before  landing  in  Tampico,  and  at  the 


120  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

date  of  the  killing  had  been  in  Mexico  about  six 
weeks.  After  deliberation,  we  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  Mexican  got  killed  in  a  drunken  row,  and  as  the 
United  States  Government  was  paying  the  soldier  seven 
dollars  a  month  to  kill  Mexicans,  it  would  not  be  quite 
the  right  thing  to  hang  the  fellow  for  killing  one  of  them, 
even  in  a  drunken  row,  hence  we  returned  a  verdict  of 
"  not  guilty."  On  the  jury  I  made  the  acquaintance  of 
a  gentleman  named  Tracy;  he  was  adjutant-general,  at 
tached  to  General  Gates'  staff;  in  fact  we  became  very 
intimate,  and  of  him  I  shall  have  more  to  say  presently. 
I  have  heretofore  remarked  that  General  Gates  was  of 
the  regular  army,  a  great  stickler  for  military  discipline* 
and  most  cordially  hated  the  volunteer  service;  conse 
quently  we  did  not  entertain  a  great  amount  of  love  for 
him.  As  for  myself,  I  procured  a  copy  of  the  Regulations 
of  the  United  States  Army,  and  made  myself  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  my  rights  and  obligations  under  them, 
fully  intending  to  discharge  every  duty  enjoined  by  them, 
and  as  fully  determined  to  submit  to  no  impositions  on 
the  part  of  others.  While  these  feelings  were  yet  being 
nursed  by  me,  a  favorable  opportunity  occurred  to  beard 
the  old  lion  and  show  him  that  I  wasn't  the  tamest  of 
beasts  myself.  I  was  sitting  in  my  quarters  one  day, 
when  a  detail  was  served  on  me;  I  did  not  read  it,  sup 
posing  it  was  to  act  as  officer  of  the  day.  I  dressed 
myself  to  obey  the  detail,  and  walked  down  to  meet  the 
relief.  On  my  arrival  I  found  Lieutenant  Sampson — a 
second  lieutenant — there  to  take  his  position  as  officer 
of  the  day.  I  turned  to  the  adjutant,  and  asked  him 
what  it  meant;  he  replied,  "You  are  detailed  as  officer 
of  the  guard  !  "  I  consigned  both  him  and  his  detail  to 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  121 

the  shades,  turned  upon  my  heel  and  returned  to  my 
quarters  and  wrote  a  note  to  Colonel  Hicks  that  I  had 
disobeyed  his  orders,  but  would  be  found  at  my  quarters. 
They  did  not  keep  me  long  in  suspense,  for  in  about  an 
hour  an  order  was  brought  me  by  an  orderly  to  appear 
before  General  Gates  at  four  o'clock  P.  M.,  to  answer  a 
charge  of  disobedience  to  a  superior  officer,  and  to  con 
sider  myself  under  arrest  until  the  matter  was  disposed 
of.  I  immediately  divested  myself  of  my  sword,  and 
attired  in  a  common  soldier's  uniform,  without  any  insig 
nia  of  rank,  promptly  at  four  o'clock  was  at  the  general's 
quarters;  but  none  too  prompt,  as  I  found  the  general 
and  my  accusers  all  present  and  ready  to  proceed.  The 
old  general  called  out,  "Where  is  the  prisoner?"  I 
stepped  forward  and  saluted.  He  said,  "  Why  do  you 
appear  in  that  garb  ?  Where  are  your  uniform  and  in 
signia  of  rank  ? "  I  replied  that  I  was  under  arrest  on 
charges  which,  if  sustained,  would  reduce  me  to  this  uni 
form  and  rank. 

GATES- — "What  is  your  present  rank,  sir?" 
"  First  lieutenant  in  the  line,  captain  by  virtue  of  quar 
termaster's  appointment." 

GATES — "  Now,  sir,  what  were  your  reasons  for  diso 
beying  the  orders  of  your  colonel  ?  " 

"If  permitted  I  will  give  my  reasons, -sir." 
GATES  (peremptorily) — "  I  want  your  reason,  sir." 
I  again  replied  that  I  would  give  my  reasons  if  per 
mitted.     I   had   noticed  that   my  friend   Tracy  seemed 
very  nervous  and  affrighted  on  my  account,  fidgeting  in 
his  seat  and  giving  other  demonstrations  of  uneasiness, 
and  seeing  the  old  general  getting  in  a  passion,  remarked 
to  him  that  perhaps  I  might  have  more  than  one  reason. 
9 


122  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Thereupon  the  old  general  growled,  "  Then  give  me 
your  reasons,  sir." 

I  replied  I  was  acting  quartermaster  of  the  command, 
and  could  not  be  compelled  to  do  field  duty. 

GENERAL — "How  is  this,  Colonel  Hicks?"  The 
colonel  replied  that  it  was  true,  but  that  during  the  sickly 
season  I  had  volunteered  to  do  duty  in  the  line. 

GENERAL  (turning  to  me) — "That  is  no  excuse,  sir;  so 
long  as  you  volunteered  to  do  line  duty,  you  cannot  escape 
it  by  throwing  yourself  behind  the  shield  of  a  disbursing 
officer." 

At  this  point  Tracy  looked  so  badly  scared  that  I 
really  felt  worse  on  his  account  than  for  my  own  fate, 
for  I  knew  my  defense  and  he  did  not. 

The  general  again  growled  out,  "  Have  you  any  other 
defense  ?  "  "  Yes,  sir.  I  am  in  command  of  a  company, 
and  on  no  occasion  has  a  company  commander  been 
called  on  to  act  as  officer  of  the  guard,  and  this  detail  is 
without  precedent." 

Again  he  turned  to  Colonel  Hicks  and  asked  him  as 
to  the  fact  claimed  by  me.  The  colonel  admitted  that 
the  present  case  was  the  only  one,  and  that  it  was  inad 
vertently  done.  The  old  general  was  like  an  enraged 
tiger,  and  exclaimed,  "Young  man.  this  is  no  excuse; 
don't  talk  of  precedents;  your  colonel  has  the  right  to 
make  precedents." 

Tracy  was  more  uneasy  than  ever,  and  absolutely 
looked  like  a  condemned  criminal  awaiting  execution. 

The  old  general  roared  out  again,  "  Have  you  anything 
further  to  offer  in  defense  ?  " 

I  quietly  replied  that  I  had,  but  had  hoped  the  two 
reasons  already  given  would  have  been  satisfactory;  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  123 


I  had  a  perfect  and  complete  defense  for  my  conduct, 
and  for  the  credit  of  our  command  I  hoped  that  Colonel 
Hicks  would  withdraw  the  charge  and  let  the  matter 
drop  where  it  was. 

At  this  the  old  general  was  more  furious  than  ever, 
and  said  that  it  was  not  for  Colonel  Hicks  to  withdraw 
the  charges;  that  he  sat  as  a  court  of  inquiry,  that  the 
whole  matter  was  in  his  hands,  and  unless  I  clearly 
purged  myself  of  the  charge,  I  would  be  cashiered  and 
reduced  to  the  ranks. 

By  this  time  I  had  become  perfectly  aroused,  and  re 
torted  by  saying  I  was  aware  that  I  was  standing  before 
a  tribunal  that  would  only  be  too  willing  to  convict,  but 
I  thanked  God  that  there  was  some  things  that  that 
court  could  not  do  with  impunity;  and  I  therefore  offered 
as  my  last  and  perfect  defense,  that  "I  was  detailed  to 
act  as  officer  of  the  guard  while  an  officer  inferior  in 
rank  was  detailed  to  act  as  officer  of  the  day." 

The  old  general  turned  full  around  upon  Colonel 
Hicks,  and  exclaimed,  "How  is  this,  Colonel  Hicks?" 

The  colonel  admitted  the  truth  of  the  statement. 

"Oh,  tut-tut!  Colonel  Hicks,  that  will  never  do,  that 
will  never  do  !" 

At  the  last  defense  I  saw  Tracy  brighten  up,  and  when 
the  old  general  turned  to  me  again,  it  was  with  a  very 
different  air.  He  said,  "  Young  man,  you  are  discharged; 
but  you  have  run  a  fearful  risk;  it  is  very  unsafe,  sir,  to 
take  the  law  into  your  own  hands.  You  had  far  better 
suffered  the  indignity  than  to  have  taken  the  chances 
that  you  have  taken;"  and  then  turning  to  Colonel  Hicks} 
he  said,  "  I  hope,  colonel,  that  neither  you  nor  I  will 
ever  be  subjected  to  a  like  temptation."  And  I  have 

'HE 

UNIVERSITY 


124  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

reason  to  believe  that  I  lost  nothing  in  the  estimation  of 
the  general  on  account  of  the  course  I  pursued. 

The  forces  stationed  at  Tampico  were  the  only  ones 
on  the  part  of  the  United  States  to  hold  in  check  the 
Mexicans  in  the  Sierra  Madre  country.  And  now 
rumors  began  to  be  circulated  that  the  Mexicans  were 
beginning  to  organize  at  or  near  the  ancient  city  of 
Panuco.  Accordingly  it  was  determined  to  send  a  scout 
ing  party  through  the  country,  up  the  Panuco  River, 
to  that  point,  and  Company  A,  of  our  regiment,  was 
selected  for  that  service.  The  company  was  commanded 
by  Capt.  C.  L.  Wight,  who,  though  young,  was  a  brave 
and  discreet  officer.  I  volunteered  as  quartermaster  and 
assistant  commissary  of  the  command,  and  we  com 
menced  our  march  without  any  camp  or  garrison  equi 
page  or  commissary  stores  further  than  what  the  knap 
sacks  and  haversacks  of  the  men  furnished,  trusting  to 
the  country  to  furnish  rations;  when  the  people  were 
friendly  we  would  pay  for  them,  of  course;  when  they 
were  hostile,  we  would  borrow  from  them,  or  pay  in 
powder  and  bullets,  as  the  necessity  of  the  case  de 
manded.  Twelve  miles  from  Tampico,  up  the  Panuco 
River,  was  what  is  known  as  the  Lafler  place.  I  think 
Lafler  was  an  American;  he  had  a  very  fine  tract  of 
land,  large  in  dimensions  and  extraordinarily  fertile. 
Upon  this  he  had  a  very  large  coffee  plantation.  I  think 
he  had  from  six  hundred  to  seven  hundred  acres  in 
coffee — the  first  that  I  ever  saw  growing;  it  grows  upon 
a  shrub  or  bush  ranging  from  eight  to  fifteen  feet  high; 
the  leaves  are  dark  green  and  the  coffee  grains  grow  two 
together,  and  are  covered  with  a  hull  or  skin  that  is  red, 
presenting  the  appearance  of  red  berries. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  125 

We  encamped  at  Lafler's  that  night.  During  the  night 
a  tiger  attacked  and  killed  an  ox  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  and  his  deep  growls  seemed  to  jar  the  earth 
where  we  were;  it  was  unlike  anything  I  ever  heard  be 
fore;  the  next  day  we  continued  our  march,  passing 
for  several  miles  through  an  unbroken  forest  of  lime 
trees,  the  yellow  limes  lying  so  thick  all  over  the  ground 
that  you  could  scrape  them  up  by  the  bushel,  and  the 
forest  extending  in  every  direction  as  far  as  you  could 
see.  There  were  but  very  few  inhabitants  on  this  route, 
although  there  were  plenty  of  evidences  that  at  some 
former  day  the  whole  country  had  been  well  populated, 
for  mouldering  ruins  and  broken  potteryware  were  to  be 
seen  on  aJl  sides.  The  water  was  very  bad,  being 
strongly  impregnated  with  alkali,  and  was  only  rendered 
drinkable  by  squeezing  lime  juice  into  it. 

About  an  hour  before  sunset  we  arrived  at  the  old  city 
of  Panuco.  I  was  somewhat  disappointed  with  the  ap-  ' 
pearance  of  the  place,  as  I  had  heard  and  read  of  it  as 
presenting  so  many  evidences  of  former  greatness.  A 
brief  examination  showed  me  that  the  ruins  in  and 
about  Panuco  could  not  be  compared  with  those  of 
Pueblo  Viejo,  notwithstanding  I  had  not  heard  any  com 
ment  in  regard  to  the  latter.  The  ruins  of  Panu<?o 
seemed  to  be  of  more  recent  date  than  those  of  Pueblo 
Viejo;  less  extensive,  and  less  architectural  beauty  dis 
played  in  the  construction  of  the  buildings,  less  of  heavy 
masonry  and  more  of  the  adobe  buildings.  On  our  ap 
proach  we  saw  a  few  armed  Mexicans,  who  kept  at  a 
respectful  distance.  We  crossed  the  river  to  the  main 
portion  of  the  town,  where  we  took  possession  of  a  pub 
lic  building  that  furnished  us  with  ample  and  complete 


126  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

quarters.  The  alcalde  was  not  long  in  putting  in  an 
appearance,  and  after  demand,  formally  surrendered  the 
town;  which  to  the  best  of  my  recollection  contained 
about  three  thousand  inhabitants. 

We  had  now  been  long  enough  in  Mexico  to  learn 
that  we  had  to  watch  the  treacherous  Mexicans,  as  sev 
eral  of  our  men  had  been  poisoned  by  provisions 
obtained  from  the  markets  in  Tampico  (though  none  of 
them  fatally).  So  I  bargained  for  a  live  beef  and  had 
it  slaughtered  by  our  own  men;  then  set  a  lot  of  Mexi 
can  women  to  manufacturing  .tortillas y  frijoles  Colorado 
negro,  all  of  which  was  very  acceptable  and  satisfactory 
to  the  command.  Finding  that  there  was  no  concentrated 
force,  and  nothing  but  roaming  bands  of  robbers,  as 
much  to  be  dreaded  by  the  Mexicans  as  by  the  Ameri 
cans,  we  began  to  think  of  our  return.  But  many  of 
the  men,  and  some  of  the  officers,  indeed,  complaining 
that  their  feet  were  so  sore  that  they  could  not  march, 
we  finally  concluded  to  press  into  service  a  sufficient 
number  of  dug-outs  to  transport  the  force  down  the 
river.  There  was  no  lack  of  these  at  Panuco;  accord 
ingly  we  were  soon  floating  down  the  river,  all  pleased 
at  the  change. 

*  As  soldiers  are  not  overly  scrupulous,  especially  when 
in  an  enemy's  country,  there  was  no  lack  of  provisions. 
About  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  tied  up  under  the 
bank  and  sought  a  shade  to  take  a  lunch,  but  I  soon  saw 
that  the  boys  were  hunting  wood,  building  fires,  etc.,  and 
in  about  one  hour  there  were  added  to  the  tortillas  y 
frijoles  several  roast  fowls,  in  the  disposition  of  which 
the  officers  were  cordially  invited  to  participate.  When 
interrogated  as  to  how  they  came  into  possession  of  them, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  127 

they  insinuated  that  the  fowls  made  a  night  attack  upon 
them,  and  it  was  not  until  after  a  long  and  deadly  strug 
gle  that  the  enemy  surrendered;  and  to  the  victors 
belonged  the  spoils.  Of  course  the  explanation  was 
satisfactory,  notwithstanding  I  could  not  help  thinking 
there  had  been  some  "  fowl  "  play.  But  all  seemed  in 
clined  to  punish  the  enemy,  and  the  consequence  was, 
we  left  their  bones  to  bleach  on  the  shore  of  the  Panuco. 
When  the  repast  was  over,  we  took  to  our  boats  and 
pulled  leisurely  down  the  river. 

Rounding  a  bend,  below  us  something  over  a  mile,  in 
the  center  of  the  stream,  like  a  dolphin  resting  upon  the 
water,  lay  a  beautiful  schooner.  Captain  Wight  had  a 
small  field-glass,  and  readily  discovered  that  the  vessel 
was  an  armed  craft,  as  the  glass  showed  the  brass  pieces 
on  the  side.  This  was  something  for  which  we  had  not 
bargained,  but  we  kept  steadily  pulling  towards  her. 
Presently  we  could,  with  the  naked  eye,  see  great  activ 
ity  on  board  of  her,  and  before  we  had  fully  made  up 
our  minds  what  to  do,  we  saw  a  puff  of  smoke,  and  a 
round  shot  came  skipping  over  the  water  some  distance 
on  one  side  of  us.  At  that  moment  up  went  the  flag; 
a  glance  was  sufficient  to  show  us  that  it  was  our  own 
stars  and  stripes.  As  it  happened  we  had  a  little  com 
pany  flag  with  us,  which  we  waved  in  return,  and  pulled 
to  the  schooner.  We  all  went  aboard  and  received  a 
hearty  welcome.  Everything  about  her  was  as  neat  as 
a  pin.  Her  decks  were  as  clean  as  a  good  housewife's 
table,  and  her  guns  shone  like  mirrors. 

After  we  were  on  board,  and  had  exchanged  greetings 
with  the  officers,  came  the  explanation.  We  having 
been  sent  across  the  country,  and  not  knowing  what  we 


128  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

might  encounter,  it  was  thought  advisable  to  send  this 
vessel  up  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  us.  We  knew  nothing 
of  the  vessel  being  sent  out,  and  the  captain  of  the  craft 
was  not  expecting  to  see  us  on  the  river;  hence  the 
mutual  surprise.  We  soon  bade  good-by  to  the  schooner 
and  pursued  our  way  down  the  river;  the  vessel  was 
wholly  becalmed,  as  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind  to 
fill  or  flap  a  sail.  The  sun  slowly  sank  behind  the  Sierra 
Madre  Mountains,  that  rose  in  the  background  to  the 
height  of  from  3,000  to  4,000  feet,  not  abruptly,  but  with 
a  long  slope  of  fine  agricultural  and  grazing  land  be 
tween  their  summits  and  the  river;  in  fact,  the  whole 
range  of  the  Sierra  Madre  on  its  eastern  slope  is  well 
timbered,  and  upon  its  gradual  incline  one  may  find 
almost  any  variety  of  climate  that  he  chooses;  and  did 
that  territory  belong  to  the  United  States,  it  would  soon 
develop  into  one  of  the  most  delightful  countries  in  the 
world,  for  nature  has  done  a  good  part  by  it. 

We  continued  to  descend  the  river,  notwithstanding 
night  was  upon  us;  but  it  became  necessary  that  we 
should  reach  some  place  that  could  feed  us,  as  our  dinner 
had  exhausted  our  supplies.  Thus  we  continued  our 
voyage  until  about  ten  o'clock  at  night,  when  we  reached 
the  little  town  of  Agua  Cotta. 

This  was  a  small  town  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Panuco  River,  I  think  about  twenty-five  miles  from 
Tamprco.  There  had  not  been  the  least  caution  used 
in  landing,  and  no  danger  anticipated;  the  canoes  were 
run  into  the  bank  just  as  it  happened,  and  the  men,  ex 
cepting  a  very  few  who  were  left  in  charge  of  the  boats, 
had  straggled  up  town  in  pursuit  of  supper — doubtless 
something  to  drink,  also.  However,  I  had  made  arrange- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  129 

ments  for  supper,  and  the  parties  had  gone  to  work  in 
good  earnest  to  accommodate  the  command.  It  was 
progressing  finely,  when  all  at  once  I  heard  a  shot,  then 
another  and  another;  then  a  yell,  and  pretty  rapid  firing 
in  different  parts  of  the  town. 

There  were  fifteen  or  twenty  of  the  boys  near  me 
awaiting  supper,  and  several  of  the  officers.  Captain 
Wight  cried  out:  "Boys,  defend  the  boats!  "  We  made 
a  grand  rush  for  the  boats;  and  none  too  soon,  for  we 
were  in  rear  of  about  fifty  Mexicans,  rushing  on  to  the 
guards;  the  latter  instantly  formed  and  delivered  a  fire 
upon  the  advancing  enemy.  The  volley  was  returned 
by  them,  with  considerable  spirit,  although  with  little 
apparent  effect  on  either  side.  It  was  night,  though  not 
very  dark,  and  we  could  recognize  their  relative  positions. 
As  the  foe  was  between  us  and  our  guard  at  the  boats 
we  could  not  fire  without  endangering  our  own  men. 
We  were  compelled  to  make  a  rapid  oblique  march  to 
the  right,  and  then  we  delivered  a  volley  in  their  flank, 
for  which  they  were  not  prepared.  We  then  rushed  on 
them  with  fixed  bayonets  and  compelled  them  to  retreat 
in  disorder.  Our  boats  now  being  safe  we  turned  our 
attention  to  the  desultory  firing  up  town.  We  left  the 
guard  strengthened,  and  with  about  twenty  men  rushed 
back  to  relieve  the  stragglers,  who  seemed  to  have 
rather  a  hot  time  of  it. 

As  we  advanced,  the  men  continued  to  fall  into  posi 
tion  and  we  soon  had  our  little  command  reduced  to 
something  like  order,  and  in  possession  of  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  village.  The  Mexicans  continued  a  brisk 
fire,  secreted  behind  buildings  and  fences,  but  their 
weapons  were  the  old  clumsy  escopets,  from  which  there 


130  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

was  but  little  danger  unless  by  a  chance  shot.  But  they 
must  be  dislodged;  there  was  no  alternative  but  to  sweep 
the  streets;  accordingly  with  fixed  bayonets,  we  rushed 
up  the  streets,  running  them  from  their  hiding-places, 
which  compelled  them  to  mass  before  us.  On  the  west 
side  of  the  town  there  was  a  considerable  stream  empty 
ing  into  the  Panuco.  We  charged  them  to  the  edge  of 
this  stream,  where  many  of  them  threw  down  their  arms, 
jumped  into  the  water,  and  made  for  the  opposite 
shore.  We  did  not  venture  to  follow  them,  but  returned 
to  our  boats,  abandoning  our  supper,  and  began  to  make 
preparations  to  leave. 

Our  men  were  drawn  up  on  the  bank  for  roll-call,  to 
ascertain  the  amount  of  damage  and  loss  to  our  com 
mand,  when  two  men  came  scuffling  down  to  the  bank, 
or  rather  one  of  them  was  dragging  the  other  after  him. 
We  were  soon  enlightened  as  to  the  cause.  It  was  our 
green  Irishman;  the  one  who  stuck  his  gun  down  the 
bore  of  the  field-piece,  in  Tampico,  to  "  keep  the  spal 
peens  from  getting  it."  He  had  captured  a  prisoner, 
and  was  bringing  him  along  to  the  boats.  He  explained 
that  as  he  was  trying  to  get  a  drink,  the  Mexican  rushed 
on  him  with  a  big  knife;  and  as  he  was  about  running 
the  fellow  through  with  his  bayonet,  he  was  interfered 
with  by  the  priest;  and  to  use  Pat's  own  language,  as 
nearly  as  possible,  "  his  riverence  rushed  up  and  sthuck 
the  crosh  in  my  viry  face;  when  instead  of  killing  him,  I 
took  the  spalpeen  by  the  neck,  and  jist  brought  him  wid 
me."  He  was  directed  to  let  the  fellow  go. 

On  examination  we  found  that  we  had  not  lost  a  man. 
Two  were  seriously  wounded,  and  several  slightly;  we 
had  captured  thirty  or  forty  stands  of  arms,  several 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  131 

swords  and  other  weapons.  The  arms,  excepting  the 
swords,  were  useless,  hence  we  threw  the  guns  into  the 
river,  put  the  swords  on  board,  re-embarked  our  men, 
and  were  soon  silently  floating  down  the  river.  We 
dropped  down  some  three  or  four  miles,  and  seeing  a 
s'mall  rancho  of  some  half  a  dozen  houses,  tied  up  for  the 
night,  it  then  being  about  one  o'clock.  The  men  were 
exhausted,  and  after  placing  out  a  guard  to  prevent  sur 
prise,  the  camp  was  soon  silent,  save  the  deep  breathing 
of  the  tired  soldiers.  The  excitement  of  the  evening 
had  been  such  with  me  that,  even  at  that  late  (or  rather 
early)  hour,  I  had  no  inclination  to  sleep.  I  fell  in  with 
a  Mexican,  who  seemed  to  be  a  good-natured  fellow,  and 
was  keeping  his  watch  on  the  part  of  his  countrymen, 
and  who  also  seemed  to  possess  more  than  the  ordinary 
intelligence  of  his  class.  He  informed  me  that  there 
was  a  man  living  there  who  spoke  my  language,  and 
that  he  owned  a  rancho  close  by  the  place.  After  de 
termining  in  my  own  mind  to  see  and  converse  with 
the  individual  referred  to,  I  laid  down  and  was  soon  in 
dreamland,  far  from  the  banks  of  the  Panuco  and  its 
wild  surroundings. 

I  was  awakened  the  next  morning  by  Capt.  C.  L. 
Wight.  I  found  the  morning  sun  shining  full  in  my 
face.  The  captain  informed  me  that  he  had  taken  the 
liberty  of  interfering  with  my  duties  as  A.  C.  S.,  and  had 
made  such  arrangements  as  best  he  could  for  breakfast 
for  the  men;  for  which  I  returned  him  my  thanks,  and  as 
that  duty  was  off  my  mind,  I  had  resolved  to  visit  the 
man  who  could  speak  our  language;  not  so  much  for  the 
gratification  of  meeting  the  man,  as  to  obtain  some  in 
formation  regarding  ancient  ruins  that,  from  "Norman's 


132  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Travels,"  I  knew  must  be  in  that  immediate  vicinity.  I 
strolled  across  the  fields,  and  soon  made  the  acquaintance 
of  the  owner  of  the  rancho,  whose  name  I  learned  to  be 
Kier.  He  was  a  German;  had  a  nice  place,  and  though 
he  informed  me  that  he  was  a  poor  sailor  boy  when  he 
came  there,  he  was  now  quite  wealthy.  It  was  about 
breakfast  time,  and  he  cordially  invited  me  to  breakfast 
with  him,  which  was  quite  to  my  notion,  as  the  last  time 
I  had  broken  my  fast  was  the  day  before  at  noon. 

After  breakfast  I  returned  to  the  command,  and  ob 
tained  permission  from  Captain  Wight  to  retain  a  canoe 
and  four  men,  and  lay  over  at  this  point  until  the  next 
day,  as  I  had  learned  the  ruins  I  was  so  anxious  to  visit 
were  but  a  short  distance  down  the  river  from  us.  Kier 
had  agreed  to  accompany  us  as  a  guide. 

In  the  meantime  the  command  had  got  under  way 
for  Tampico,  and  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  we 
embarked  in  the  canoe,  and  being  provided  with  edibles 
by  our  kind  host  and  guide,  we  descended  the  river  for 
about  two  miles,  to  where  there  was  another  considerable 
river  emptying  its  clear  waters  into  the  Panuco;  here 
we  landed.  Mine  host  had  brought  with  him  two  Mexi 
can  servants,  and  an  immensely  large  amount  of  provis 
ions  for  a  single  day.  On  my  expressing  surprise,  he 
informed  me  that  a  day's  sport  there  would  give  me  but 
a  faint  idea  of  the  place;  and  that  he,  presuming  that 
my  stay  was  only  limited  by  my  inclination,  had  pro 
vided  for  our  immediate  necessities  by  bringing  along 
such  things  as  he  thought  we  might  need  during  our 
stay  among  the  ruins. 

On  my  way  down  to  the  landing  I  gained  something 
of  my  companion's  early  history.  He  was  a  German  by 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  133 

birth;  came  to  New  York  when  very  young;  at  sixteen 
commenced  life  before  the  mast,  as  a  common  sailor. 
Left  his  ship  at  Vera  Cruz;  worked  around  the  docks  for 
some  time,  learned  to  speak  Mexican,  and  at  twenty 
years  of  age  he  landed  at  Tampico.  He  finally  became 
acquainted  with  an  old  don,  went  up  the  Panuco,  where 
I  found  him,  and  in  due  course  of  time  married  the  old 
don's  daughter,  by  whose  death  he  got  a  living.  He 
further  informed  me  that  upon  commencing  business  for 
himself  he  had  a  great  disgust  for  the  Mexican  mode  of 
farming;  he  said  they  used  a  wooden  shovel  plow,  which 
would  merely  root  up  the  earth,  without  any  pretense  of 
turning  a  furrow;  and  the  rest  of  the  labor  was  performed 
with  heavy,  awkward,  Mexican  hoes.  But  he  went  East, 
procured  steel  plows  and  the  most  improved  implements 
for  working  the  soil;  such  as  harrows,  cultivators,  etc., 
and  was  determined  to  show  the  "  greasers  "  how  to  farm 
it.  His  plows  did  excellent  work,  turning  up  the  virgin 
soil  from  depths  that  no  Mexican  system  had  ever 
reached,  and  his  improved  harrows  were  a  source  of 
amazement  to  the  Mexicans.  His  cultivators  had  super 
seded  the  clumsy  hoe,  and  he  could  show  such  a  corn 
field  as  had  never  before  been  seen  on  the  shores  of  the 
Panuco.  "  But,"  said  he,  "what  do  you  think;  my  corn 
became  like  young  trees,  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet 
high,  and  without  any  ears  whatever,  and  my  experi 
ment  cost  me  my  entire  crop."  "Well,"  I  said,  "what 
did  you  do  ?  did  you  throw  away  your  late  improve 
ments  and  return  to  the  Mexican  system?"  "Oh,  no!" 
he  said,  "the  next  season  I  did  not  plow  the  ground  at 
all.  I  planted,  after  harrowing  the  field,  using  the  cul 
tivator  to  keep  the  weeds  down,  and  took  off  a  good 


134  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

crop;  and  I  have  continued  to  use  the  imported  imple 
ments  ever  since,  using  the  precaution  not  to  produce 
an  overgrowth  by  turning  the  ground  too  deep.  And 
in  fact,"  said  he,  "  I  have  now  used  the  ground  so  long 
by  constant  cropping  that  there  is  but  little  danger  of 
too  heavy  growth,  and  even  manuring  has  been  benefi 
cial  in  some  places." 

As  stated,  we  had  landed  and  were  at  the  base  of  our 
operafions.  It  was  a  pleasant  day,  and  along  the  im 
mediate  shore,  at  the  upper  portion  of  the  grounds  we 
were  to  explore,  there  were  a  few  acres  of  open  ground 
studded  with  large  mesquite  trees,  which  made  a  very 
nice  shade  ;  and  the  water  of  the  nameless  river  was  pure, 
sweet,  and  fitted  for  ordinary  domestic  uses.  Hence 
we  determined  to  make  our  camp  at  this  point,  and  my 
four  men  in  connection  with  the  two  Mexicans  soon 
constructed  a  temporary  encampment.  Really,  it  was 
an  attractive  spot;  the  ground  raised  gently  from  the 
shore  of  the  Panuco  and  sloped  back  to  the  south,  where 
far  in  the  background,  terrace  mounting  upon  terrace, 
rose  the  Sierra  Madre  Mountains  to  the  probable  height 
of  two  thousand  feet;  while  to  the  north  lay  the  flat  and 
fertile  valley  between  the  Panuco  and  Tamosee  Rivers. 
We  took  a  hasty  meal  in  our  new  quarters,  as  it  was  now 
past  midday,  and  commenced  our  march  inland  and  up 
the  nameless  stream. 

We  had  landed  right  among  the  mouldering  ruins, 
which  approached  the  very  bank  of  the  river.  Here  were 
piles  of  adobe  walls  yet  maintaining  their  identity,  and 
there  broken  columns  of  granite  rock  giving  unmistakable 
evidence  of  the  labors  of  men  upon  their  surface,  by  the 
yet  visible  marks  of  the  artisan's  chisel,  undefaced  by 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  135 

the  ravages  of  time,  distinct  outlines  of  what,  at  some 
distant  day,  had  been  magnificent  statues,  that  might 
even  command  the  admiration  of  the  present  period. 

We  proceeded  about  four  miles  up  the  stream,  covered 
here  by  a  heavy  mesquite  forest  and  there  by  patches  of 
chaparral,  interspersed  with  open  ground,  carpeted  with 
a  heavy  and  uncropped  growth  of  grass.  This  place 
seemed  to  be  a  favorite  retreat  for  the  feather  tribes; 
parrots  and  paroquets  swarmed  in  the  trees.  Several 
black  pheasants  sprang  up  before  us,  one  of  which  Kier 
brought  donvn  with  his  fowling-piece;  while  snipe  and 
beautiful  plumaged  cranes  lined  the  shore  and  pools 
along  the  stream.  There  were  a  few  monkeys  chatter 
ing  in  the  trees,  but  they  had  ceased  to  be  a  novelty. 
We  found  the  stream  to  be  the  outlet  to  a  lake  that  lay 
between  the  Panuco  River  and  the  mountains.  It  was 
a  lovely  sheet  of  water,  with  a  pebbly  shore,  shallow  at 
the  edge  and  gradually  deepening  until  its  blue  waves 
entirely  hid  the  bottom  of  the  immense  depth.  The 
ruins  extended  all  the  way  from  the  Panuco  to  the  lake. 
The  width  of  the  lake  at  this  point,  as  I  observed,  was 
about  six  miles,  but  I  could  not  see  its  eastern  extremity; 
and  the  question  arose  in  my  mind  whether  or  not  this 
was  not  an  arm  of  Lake  Tampico — which  problem  I 
never  had  an  opportunity  of  solving. 

Everywhere  covering  the  ground  and  mingling  with 
the  ruins  were  large  masses  of  broken  pottery  ware;  stat 
uary  of  men,  quadrupeds,  and  fowls,  all  broken  and 
ruined,  yet  giving  evidences  of  the  skill  and  taste  of  the 
race  who  had  some  day  peopled  that  lovely  place.  The 
statuary  and  figures  seemed  to  have  been  attached  to  the 
buildings,  standing  out  in  bold  relief,  sustaining  cornices 


136  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  projections;  although  this  is  not  universal,  as  in  some 
instances  the  rock  has  been  chiseled  away,  leaving  human 
and  other  forms  in  bass-relief  upon  columns  that  some 
day  had  undoubtedly  sustained  magnificent  structures. 
But  what  was  more  remarkable,  the  countenances  of  the 
faces  on  the  columns  and  statuary'were  wholly  unlike 
the  present  race  inhabiting  Mexico,  or  the  Indian  tribes 
of  that  country,  but  were  rather  of  a  Grecian  type. 

It  was  difficult  to  say  whether  the  ruined  city  was 
confined  to  the  river  as  a  port,  or  whether  its  commercial 
advantages  also  connected  it  with  the  lake*  there  was 
one  thing  very  evident,  that  there  had  been  many  mass 
ive  and  elegant  buildings  on  the  lake  shore,  and  I  think 
they  compared  favorably  with  the  ruins  on  the  river. 

Night  was  now  closing  in  on  us,  and  we  returned  to 
the  river,  where  we  had  established  our  base  of  operations. 
After  supper,  I  seated  myself  on  a  fallen  column  of  gran 
ite  and  sank  into  profound  meditation,  It  was  hard  to 
realize  that,  where  I  sat  at  the  time,  more  than  a  thou 
sand  years  ago  a  mighty  city,  which  now  lay  in  ruins  at 
my  feet,  had  teemed  with  commerce,  life,  and  action;  its 
busy  streets  had  one  day  swarmed  with  thousands  of 
human  beings,  whose  impulses  and  feelings  probably 
differed  but  little  from  our  own.  There,  had  mingled 
the  man  of  business,  the  devotee,  the  pleasure-seeker, 
the  layman  and  the  clergy;  men  of  wealth  and  station, 
with  rank  and  power;  and  vice  and  squalid  misery  had 
alike  swarmed  in  the  thoroughfares  of  this  once  mighty 
emporium.  But  who  were  they?  where  did  they  come 
from,  and  whither  did  they  go?  What  great  devastating 
power  or  destructive  calamity  had  overtaken  them  ? 
Were  these  the  works  of  the  Toltecas  nation,  who  in- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  137 

vaded  Mexico,  coming  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  in 
648  ?  or  were  they  the  conquerors  of  this  city,  and  in 
their  turn  exterminated  by  the  Chickemecas,  four  hundred 
years  afterwards.  I  would  have  given  much  could  I, 
that  night,  have  called  forth  the  ghost  of  one  of  those 
unknown  departed,  that  I  might  have  interviewed  him 
upon  the  character  and  fate  of  the  now  dead  city.  How 
singular  is  the  human  disposition  !  We  Americans,  with 
the  nations  of  Europe,  flock  to  the  old  world,  and  there 
exhaust  the  brightest  intellects  and  spend  untold  mill 
ions  of  dollars  in  hunting  for  the  last  records  and  hidden 
treasures  of  a  Tyre  and  a  Troy;  to  relocate  the  lost  site 
of  a  Babylon;  to  hunt  for  hidden  manuscripts  in  the  cata 
combs,  and  excavate  the  lava-covered  plains  for  a  buried 
Pompeii  or  Herculaneum,  or  hunt  hieroglyphics  among 
the  pyramids  of  Egypt;  when  upon  our  own  continent  lies, 
unexplored  and  unnoticed,  the  richest  fields  in  the  world 
for  the  antiquarian.  But  I  must  not  dwell  longer  upon 
my  reflections  or  midnight  speculations.  I  turned  in 
and  was  soon  lost  to  all  external  objects. 

The  next  morning  we  took  a  trail  through  a  patch  of 
chaparral  ;  all  the  way  the  path  was  rendered  uneven 
and  rough  by  leading  over  mounds,  formed  by  fallen 
walls,  and  blocks  of  stone  of  various  shapes  and  sizes, 
until  we  reached  that  part  of  the  ruins  particularly 
referred  to  by  "  Norman's  Travels  and  Explorations  in 
Mexico,"  where  we  found  the  large  tortoise  mentioned  by 
him.  It  rests  upon  a  pedestal,  and  is  about  four  feet 
across  the  base.  It  is  still  perfect,  excepting  the  nose, 
which  is  partly  broken  off.  It  is  a  well-wrought  piece 
of  sculpture,  and  is  a  perfect  tortoise,  shell,  legs,  and  tail, 
but  the  head  that  protrudes  from  the  shell  is  that  of  a 
man.  10 


138  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


My  attention  was  called  to  a  place  where  there  had 
been  an  excavation;  and  about  two  feet  below  the  sur 
face  of  the  ground  there  was,  beyond  any  doubt,  a  paved 
street,  as  regularly  flagged  as  the  streets  are  at  the  pres 
ent  day.  With  the  short  time  that  I  had  to  spend,  and 
the  limited  means  for  prosecuting  my  researches,  I,  of 
course,  formed  but  a  vague  idea  of  the  interests  that 
labor  must  develop  to  the  scientific  world.  But  what 
struck  me  with  more  force  than  all  the  rest  was  the  ex 
tent  of  territory  covered  with  buildings,  and  the  archi 
tectural  skill  used  ir^  beautifying  them.  It  was  here 
Captain  Chase,  American  Minister  to  Tampiqo,  procured 
the  statue  of  a  man  about  which  there  was  so  much 
speculation  and  comment  by  the  press  in  1847.  It  was 
the  statue  of  a  man,  apparently  cut  from  solid  rock,  as 
no  evidence  whatever  appeared  indicating  that  it  was 
composite.  It  was  so  ingeniously  finished  and  arranged 
that  water  poured  into  the  mouth  would  escape  at  the 
extremities. 

After  spending  a  couple  of  days  among  the  ruins,  I 
bade  farewell  to  my  friend  and  guide,  and  in  a  few  hours 
after  reported  myself  safe  and  sound  in  Tampico. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

IT   had   long  been  reported  that  there  was  a  ravenous 
tiger  which  had  his  lair   on   the  peninsula   between 
Lake  Tampico  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  ending  on  the 
Tampico  River,  and  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  making 
nocturnal  descents  upon  the  stock  of  the  ranchers  located 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  139 

on  the  borders  of  the  lake.  He  had  become  a  terror  to 
the  inhabitants  of  that  community,  and  for  want  of  some 
thing  better  to  do  I  concluded  that  a  tiger  hunt  would 
be  a  pleasant  adventure.  I  got  six  adventurous  spirits 
to  join  me  in  the  expedition,  and  we  asked  and  obtained 
leave  of  Colonel  Hicks  to  make  a  descent  upon  this 
renowned  denizen  of  the  chaparral.  I  was  the  only 
officer,  and  was  dressed  like  the  rest,  in  the  uniform  of 
a  private.  We  provided  ourselves  with  canteens,  haver 
sacks,  short  Roman  swords,  muskets,  and  bayonets. 
Each  took  a  lunch  in  his  haversack,  and  water  in  his 
canteen.  All  were  ready  for  a  start  at  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  we  crossed  the  river  and 
traveled  on  to  where  the  land  commenced  to  rise  abruptly 
to  a  plateau,  say  two  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
plain.  At  the  base  of  this  rise  we  found  a  nice  cold  • 
spring,  from  which  we  replenished  our  canteens.  Then 
ascending  the  plateau,  we  proceeded  in  an  easterly 
direction,  across  an  open  country,  and  soon  came  to  a 
ruined  Jiacienda,  an  orange  orchard  long  neglected,  and 
a  forest  of  cactus.  The  latter  was  the  most  extraordinary 
I  ever  saw,  covering  an  area  of  some  ten  acres;  the  trees 
were  some  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  height,  and  as  dense  as 
a  hay-stack.  (I  would  not  dare  tell  this  in  a  cold  climate !) 
We  made  our  way  around  it  (an  army  of  ten  thousand 
men  would  have  had  to  do  the  same),  and  passed  through 
alternate  patches  of  open  ground  and  chaparral,  with 
here  and  there  a  few  mesquite  trees,  making  our  way 
towards  the  coast.  But  the  further  we  went,  the  more 
chaparral  and  less  open  ground,  until  in  many  places  we 
had  to  pass  over  the  tops  of  large  masses  of  chaparral, 
it  being  so  dense  that  we  could  sustain  ourselves,  though 


140  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


with  difficulty,  upon  the  top;  the  loftiest  branches  we 
would  lop  with  our  swords.  But  our  progress  was  very 
slow,  the  heat  becoming  intense,  and  there  was  consider 
able  grumbling  by  some  of  the  men,  although  I  took  the 
lead,  and  consequently  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  We  had 
now  got  so  far  that  we  could  no't  suppose  it  would  be  so 
bad  to  go  through  to  the  gulf  as  to  return.  But  it  proved 
to  be  a  great  misfortune  to  us  that  we  could  not  compre 
hend  the  future  as  well  as  the  past. 

As  I  could  see  the  tops  of  some  mesquitc  trees  in 
advance  of  us,  I  called  out,  to  encourage  the  boys,  that 
there  was  open  ground  ahead.  We  continued  our  toil 
some  march,  ever  and  anon  losing  our  footing  and  fall 
ing  down  among  the  thorny  mass  eight  or  ten  feet,  the 
thorns  tearing  our  flesh  and  clothes;  but  we  would  again 
scramble  up  and  push  ahead  for  the  timber.  At  last  we 
reached  it,  and  finding  open  ground,  congratulated  our 
selves  on  having  at  last  overcome  the  principal  obstacles 
in  the  way,  and  hoped  to  soon  reach  the  coast,  as  we 
could  hear  the  surf  beating  on  the  shore  very  distinctly. 
We  were  all  perfectly  exhausted  and  suffering  with  thirst, 
and  sat  for  a  few  minutes  in  the  shade  while  we  ate  a 
little  lunch;  it  was  but  little,  as  we  were  all  too  thirsty 
to  eat  much.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we 
again  commenced  our  march  for  the  gulf;  but  we  had 
not  proceeded  more  than  half  a  mile  before  we  discov 
ered  that  the  open  ground  was  but  an  island  in  a  dense 
sea  of  chaparral,  and  nothing  but  death  or  the  most  des 
perate  exertion  was  before  us,  as  we  must  reach  water 
or  die. 

My  feelings  were  anything  but  pleasant.  Not  so 
much  for  myself  did  I  care,  as  for  the  poor  fellows  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  141 

I  had  induced  to  engage  in  this  hair-brained  adventure; 
nothing  was  left  for  me  but  to  clamber  to  the  top  of  the 
chaparral  that  surrounded  us,  and  encourage  the  men  as 
best  I  could,  although  probably  suffering  more  than  any 
of  them,  as  I  had  taken  the  lead  and  lopped  the  brush 
all  day.  We  again  commenced  our  novel  tramp,  and 
traveled  and  continued  to  travel,  the  men  begging  to  be 
allowed  to  throw  away  "their  muskets  and  bayonets;  to 
this  I  positively  objected  on  two  grounds:  first,  that  we 
could  not  tell  what  use  we  might  have  for  them  before 
again  reaching  camp;  and  secondly,  when  we  slipped 
and  fell  into  the  chaparral,  the  muskets,  by  holding  them 
in  a  horizontal  position,  would  catch  and  hold  us  up. 
When  my  remonstrances  were  about  to  fail,  and  the  last 
hope  seemed  to  vanish,  we  struck  waves  of  sand  beneath 
us,  where  the  shore  of  the  gulf  some  day  had  been,  but 
had  receded.  From  this  all  took  courage,  and  we 
persevered.  Although  we  were  marching  on  the  top  of 
the  chaparral,  so  many  of  the  branches  ran  above  our 
heads  that  we  could  not  see  more  than  fourteen  or  fifteen 
rods  ahead  of  us,  unless  the  object  was  higher  than  we 
were;  hence  we  could  only  judge  by  the  sound  of  swells 
breaking  upon  the  shore  how  near  we  were  to  the  water. 
Thus  we  toiled  until  the  sun  was  down,  and  until  twilight 
was  fast  fading. 

At  last  the  shore  burst  upon  our  view.  More  dead 
than  alive,  we  threw  ourselves  down  upon  the  beach,  and 
dug  holes  in  the  sand,  hoping  to  get  water  that  would  to 
some  extent  alleviate  the  thirst  that  was  consuming  us. 
But  this  was  to  no  purpose;  the  briny  wave  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  was  a  poor  substitute  for  water.  In  that  con 
dition  we  lay  for  about  one  hour.  The  damp  atmos- 


142  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

phere  and  cool  of  night  had  by  that  time  somewhat 
revived  us,  and  we  started  down  to  the  beach  to  reach 
the  pilot  station  at  the  mouth  of  Tampico  River.  We 
came  to  a  little  hamlet  of  Mexicans  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Tampico  River  between  ten  and  eleven 
o'clock  at  night,  and  at  once  called  for  water.  The 
scoundrels  asserted  at  first  that  they  had  none,  and  sec 
ondly,  that  they  did  not  have  the  keys  of  the  house 
where  it  was  kept.  I  just  seized  upon  the  person  of 
their  principal  liar,  and  told  him  to  show  us  the  door 
that  led  to  the  water  or  I  would  cut  his  lying  tongue 
from  his  head.  He  then  soon  found  his  way  to  the 
place;  it  was  locked,  but  the  boys  soon  made  the  door 
ring  with  repeated  blows  with  the  breeches  of  their 
muskets,  which  induced  the  waterman  to  put  in  his  ap 
pearance  with  the  keys,  and  we  all  drank  without  stint- 
Then  we  wanted  them  to  take  us  over  to  the  pilot  sta 
tion  ;  this  they  absolutely  refused  to  do,  not  even  for 
money.  I  told  them  that  we  would  then  take  their 
boats  forcibly,  there  being  two  canoes,  when  they  rushed 
to  defend  them.  I  ordered  the  men  to  fix  bayonets; 
I  threw  them  in  line,  and  charging  upon  the  largest 
canoe,  took  possession  and  was  preparing  to  break  the 
lock  or  chain,  when  they  signified  a  willingness  to  take 
us  over  for  one  dollar  each.  I  paid  the  seven  dollars, 
and  we  were  all  safely  landed  at  the  pilot  station. 

I  noticed  on  arriving  at  the  station  that  our  coming 
was  an  enigma  to  the  parties  occupying  it,  and  that 
there  was  something  wrong  generally  at  that  place. 
There  were  four  Americans  at  the  station,  while  all  their 
assistants,  servants,  etc.,  were  Mexicans.  This  was  at  a 
time  when  many  rumors  were  afloat,  and  it  was  generally 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  143 

believed  that  the  Mexicans  had  made  some  successful 
fights,  and  claimed  important  victories  over  the  Ameri 
cans.  The  consequence  was  that  it  emboldened  the 
Mexican  guerrillas  and  robbers  in  that  section  to  make 
some  few  attacks  for  purposes  of  plunder,  and  I  soon 
discovered  from  the  quiet  conversation  at  the  station, 
and  preparations  for  defense,  that  they  were  expecting 
an  attack  that  night.  I  further  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  while  the  men  were  glad  to  see  us  come  into  the 
station  at  that  opportune  moment,  they  thought  that 
there  was  no  head  to  the  affair;  that  we  were  but  a 
straggling  squad,  unofficered,  and,  consequently,  did  not 
confide  the  condition  of  things  for  fear  we  might  leave 
them  to  their  fate.  In  a  few  moments  I  comprehended 
all  this,  and  more;  they  had  several  .blood-hounds  that 
kept  rushing  towards  the  edge  of  the  chaparral,  and 
growling  and  barking  in  such  a  way  that  it  left  no  ques 
tion  in  my  mind  but  that  our  arrival  for  the  protection 
of  the  station  was  very  opportune.  I  maintained  all 
the  reticence  on  my  part  that  was  evinced  by  those  in 
charge  of  the  station;  but  I  ordered  our  men  to  stack 
arms  in  the  center  of  the  floor,  and  placed  a  guard  over 
them,  while  the  men  lay  all  around  in  such  a  manner 
that  they  could  seize  them  at  a  moment's  notice.  Those 
in  charge  of  the  station  sat  up  all  night.  I  laid  down> 
but  could  sleep  very  little. 

The  next  morning  I  remarked  to  Captain (I  for 
get  his  name),  who  was  in  charge,  that  they  had  had 
quite  a  night  of  suspense.  He  remarked  that  they  had, 
and  a  night  of  danger,  too;  but  for  our  timely  arrival 
they  might  all  have  had  their  throats  cut;  but  as  there 
was  no  officer  with  us  they  did  not  tell  us  of  the  danger, 


144  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

for  fear  we  might  leave  them  to  fight  their  own  battle. 
I  then  disclosed  my  rank,  and  told  our  adventure;  they 
blamed  me  for  not  letting  them  know  I  was  an  officer, 
but  I  assured  them  that  by  my  comprehending  the  diffi 
culty  as  I  did,  and  the  arrangements  made,  they  would 
have  had  all  the  assistance  that  they  could  have  ex 
pected  from  seven  men.  In  due  time  they  got  us  up  a 
good  breakfast,  and  as  this  was  but  seven  miles  from 
Tampico,  with  a  good  road,  we  were  in  camp  before 
noon,  not  once  having  thought  of  the  tiger,  from  the 
time  we  commenced  scaling  the  chaparral  until  after  we 
had  reached  camp. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

MEMOIRS  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR — CONTINUED. 

IT  was  now  advancing  toward  the  rainy  season,  and  it 
became  necessary,  for  the  protection  of  the  troops, 
that  we  should  furnish  better  shelter  than  our  canvas 
tents,  from  the  storms  that  were  likely  to  ensue. 
Accordingly  it  devolved  upon  me,  as  quartermaster  of 
the  command,  to  provide  quarters  suitable  for  the  rainy 
season.  After  consultation  and  advice,  I  erected  sheds 
covered  with  palm  leaves,  under  which  we  could  pitch 
our  tents,  and  be  dry  and  comparatively  comfortable. 
This  kept  me  employed  for  some  time,  but  rumors 
began  to  reach  us  that  there  was  a  large  force  organizing 
at  Tampico  el  Alto,  numbering  five  thousand  or  more,and 
meditating  a  descent  on  Tampico.  Our  effective  force 
being  now  reduced  to  less  than  two  thousand  men,  an 
express  messenger  was  dispatched  to  Washington  to 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  145 

report  the  condition  of  affairs  at  Tampico,  and  to  solicit 
reinforcements  for  that  place.  Every  day  brought  fresh 
rumors  of  the  forces  gathering  at  Tampico  el  Alto,  until 
it  was  determined  by  the  commanding  officer  at  Tam 
pico,  as  a  precaution  against  danger  and  surprise,  to 
send  out  a  detachment  in  the  direction  of  Tampico  el 
Alto  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy.  For  the 
purpose  of  carrying  out  this  plan  Company  I,  of  our 
regiment,  was  detailed,  and  ordered  to  repair  to  Pueblo 
Viejo,  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  Mexicans.  We 
were  ordered  to  make  our  headquarters  at  Pueblo  Viejo} 
and  send  out  a  scout  in  the  direction  of  Tampico  el  Alto 
to  prevent  our  being  surprised  and  captured. 

This  was  in  the  fall  of  1847;  the  murky  clouds  were 
gathering,  and  for  the  first  time  since  landing  in  Tampico, 
in  July,  the  sun  was  obscured.  Company  I  broke  camp, 
and  we  all  embarked  on  board  of  such  small  boats  and 
crafts  as  were  at  our  command,  and  commenced  our 
expedition.  In  three  or  four  hours  we  landed  at;  Pueblo 
Viejo,  found  quarters  for  the  men,  and  made  such  neces 
sary  arrangements  for  the  comfort  of  the  command  as 
was  thought  advisable  for  the  short  sojourn  we  were  to 
make  at  that  place.  Captain  Harvey  was  nominally  in 
command  of  the  company,  but  as  soon  as  we  had  landed 
he  called  upon  the  alcalde,  was  a  willing  recipient  of  his 
bounties,  and  engaged  in  imbibing  copious  libations  of 
muscat  and  aguardienta;  owing  to  his  immense  capacity, 
he  was  carrying  the  load  of  two  ordinary  men,  and  the 
command  devolved  first  upon  myself  and  second  upon 
Lieutenant  Conkling. 

Night  was  approaching;  there  had  been  a  smart 
shower  of  rain  in  the  afternoon,  maki-ng  the  ground 


146  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

quite  wet  and  the  streets  slippery.  Conkling  and  my 
self  had  made  our  arrangements  thus:  We  were  to 
establish  a  local  guard  in  the  town,  I  was  to  take  com 
mand  of  a  small  scouting  party,  and  under  cover  of 
night,  advance  on  the  road  to  Tampico  el  Alto,  while 
Conkling  held  command  of  the  balance  of  the  com 
pany.  The  local  guard  was  stationed;  among  them  was 
a  boy  by  the  name  of  Spalding  Lewis;  he  was  a  tall  lad 
of  sixteen,  and  was  determined  to  go  to  Mexico  with 
us  from  St.  Charles.  His  mother  was  a  widow,  and  I 
think  Conkling,  as  well  as  myself,  promised  the  mother 
that  we  would,  as  far  as  possible,  protect  and  guard  her 
son  from  all  harm.  Well,  when  Spalding  was  placed 
on  guard,  I  directed  him  to  challenge  all  who  approached 
him,  and  stop  them.  But,  said  he,  if  they  will  not  stop, 
what  then?  I  replied,  you  know  your  duty,  stop  them. 

The  guard  had  been  stationed  half  an  hour.  I  had 
my  scouting  party  all  in  line,  when  I  heard  the  report  of 
a  musket.  I  ordered  the  scouting  party  on  a  double- 
quick,  and  we  soon  reached  the  spot  from  whence  the 
report  proceeded.  There  I  saw  Lewis  deliberately  ram 
ming  home  his  cartridge.  I  said,  "  Spal.,  what  are  you 
shooting  at?"  He  quietly  pointed  down  the  street, 
remarking,  "  That  fellow  came  up;  I  challenged  twice, 
when  he  started  to  run,  and  I  slapped  it  to  him."  I 
looked  in  the  direction,  and  saw  a  Mexican  lying  on  his 
face,  making  some  feeble  attempts  to  raise  himself.  I 
approached  him,  and  found  that  he  was  shot  through 
the  heart,  and  in  less  than,  two  minutes  he  was  quite 
dead.  I  handed  him  over  to  the  alcalde,  assuring  him 
that  unless  he  took  more  pains  and  kept  his  men  within 
their  proper  limits,  more  of  them  would  share  a  like 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  147 

fate.  The  victim  was  soon  recognized  by  the  police,  and 
the  alcalde  said  it  was  no  loss,  as  the  fellow  was  a  noto 
rious  thief  and  cut-throat. 

On  our  return  to  camp,  I  found  Captain  Harvey,  who 
immediately  assumed  command  of  the  company,  and 
wanted  to  know  what  I  was  going  to  do  with  so  many 
men.  I  informed  him  that  I  was  about  complying  with 
the  orders  of  General  Gates,  by  throwing  a  scouting 
party  out  on  the  road  to  Tampico  el  Alto.  I  had  intended 
to  take  thirty  men,  but  he  blustered  around,  and  said  he 
could  not  spare  so  many  men  from  the  command,  as  it 
would  endanger  its  safety.  But  the  gallant  captain  had 
forgotten  that  I  was  placing  myself  between  him  and 
all  danger.  After  considerable  wrangling,  it  was  agreed 
that  I  might  take  twenty,  and  I  was  to  select  my  men. 
(But  my  young  blood  was  up,  and  I  cursed  him,  and 
called  him  a  drunken  coward.) 

I  selected  Sergeant  Efner  to  take  charge  of  the  men, 
and  took  Lesser  Lebenstein,  my  interpreter;  the  alcalde 
furnished  me  with  what  he  claimed  to  be  a  trusty  guide. 
The  information  we  had  received  regarding  the  enemy 
was  that  they  numbered  about  five  thousand,  and  were 
comprised  of  Mexicans  and  Indians.  But  whether  the 
force  was  reduced  to  anything  like  discipline  or  not  we 
had  no  means  of  knowing.  I  had  supposed  them  to  be 
a  kind  of  wild  and  roving  band,  assembled  for  maraud 
ing  purposes,  rather  than  an  organized  force  to  be 
dreaded  by  a  well  drilled  and  disciplined  command. 

Night  had  set  in,  and  it  was  intensely  dark,  owing  to 
the  cloudy  and  misty  weather;  and  about  half-past  eight 
we  took  up  our  line  of  march,  following  the  main  road, 
leading  up  the  mountains  toward  Tampico  el  Alto.  Not 


148  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

a  sound  was  to  be  heard,  save  the  tramp  of  the  men 
and  an  occasional  low  curse  or  growl  at  the  steep  and 
slippery  condition  of  the  roads.  In  this  way  we  had 
continued  an  unbroken  march  for  about  an  hour  and  a 
half,  when  I  called  a  halt  to  allow  the  men  a  short  rest. 
They  had  scarce-ly  come  to  a  stand,  when  I  heard  an 
unusually  heavy  peal  of  a  bell  in  the  distance,  that  told 
the  hour  of  ten.  It  then,  for  the  first  time,  crossed  my 
brain  thatTampico  el  Alto  might  be  something  more  than 
a  collection  of  huts.  I  called  the  guide,  and  through 
my  interpreter,  interrogated  him  as  to  the  size  of  the 
town  of  Tampico  el  Alto.  He  informed  me  that  it  was  a 
large  place;  and  when  asked  how  many  inhabitants  it 
contained,  he  replied,  over  four  thousand.  The  thought 
flashed  through  my  mind  that  there  was  a  chance  for 
me  either  to  distinguish  or  extinguish  myself  and  the 
twenty  brave  companions  that  were  with  me.  But  I 
hesitated.  My  life  was  my  own,  and  if  I  saw  fit  to 
barter  it  for  that  bubble  called  fame,  the  trade  was  mine, 
and  none  could  complain.  But  the  other  twenty;  had  I 
aright  to  hazard  them  on  a  desperate  venture?  that  was 
the  question.  My  order  was  to  throw  out  a  scout  in  the 
direction  of  Tampico  el  Alto,  to  prevent  our  little  com 
mand  being  surprised.  Surely  my  orders  would  not 
justify  the  rash  scheme  that  I  was  contemplating,  to  wit, 
the  assault  upon,  and  capture  of  Tampico  el  Alto,  under 
cover  of  this  dense  darkness,  with  my  little  force  of 
twenty  men.  I  gave  my  orders  for  a  forward  march 
and  began  maturing  a  mode  of  attack  on  the  place,  and 
calculating  my  chances  of  success.  It  ran  something 
like  this:  The  soldiers  are  probably  camped  out  of  the 
town,  and  are  controlled  by  the  civil  authorities  of  the 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  149 


place.  Now,  could  I  succeed  in  catching  the  principal 
officers  of  the  place,  or  get  possession  of  the  stronghold, 
during  any  temporary  panic  that  would  be  created  by  a 
sudden  dash  upon  the  town,  I  might  hold  the  place  until 
reinforced,  or  hold  their  leading  men  as  hostages  for  our 
safe  return,  and  if  successful  we  could  solve  the  great 
mystery,  Had  the  Sierra  Madre  country  anything  to 
fear  from  the  long-talked-of  force  gathering  at  Tampico 
el  Alto?  While  these  plans  were  being  revolved  in  my 
mind,  we  reach  the  apex  of  the  hill,  and  Tampico  el  Alto, 
with  a  long  string  of  lights,  burst  upon  our  vision. 

On  the  southern  slope  of  the  mountains,  and  within 
one  mile  of  us,  lay  the  information  wanted;  and  for  one, 
I  thought  the  bait  too  tempting  to  be  denied.  I  ordered 
a  halt,  called  the  command  around  me,  and  told  them 
there  was  a  great  mystery  hanging  over  the  command 
at  Tampico  as  to  whether  or  not  there  was  an  organized 
enemy  at  Tampico  el  Alto,  and  if  so,  as  to  their  real  num 
bers  and  probability  of  an  attack  upon  our  forces;  what 
should  we  do?  Before  us  lay  the  long  lines  of  light, 
showing  to  a  certain  extent  the  size  of  the  town.  I 
asked  the  men  what  their  feelings  were  on  the  subject; 
should  we  make  the  attempt  to  dispel  the  mystery? 
when  with  one  accord  they  said,  "  Lead  on,  and  we  will 
follow  wherever  you  think  best  to  go ! "  I  then  called  my 
guide,  and  from  him  I  learned  that  there  were  two 
alcaldes  and  many  priests  in  town.  I  directed  him  to 
lead  me  to  the  principal  alcalde,  and  we  commenced  a 
rapid  march  for  the  city.  As  we  entered  the  suburbs,  I 
ordered  a  double-quick,  and  we  went  thundering  down 
the  rough-paved  streets  like  a  command  of  cavalry. 

After  marching  for  some    distance  down  the  street, 


150  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

the  guide  pointed  out  a  large  building  as  the  residence 
of  the  principal  alcalde.  As  we  were  rapidly  approach 
ing'  it,  I  saw  something  white  flit  across  the  street 
before  us,  and,  on  approaching  the  house,  we  were 
informed,  on  inquiring,  that  his  highness  had  just 
stepped  out.  Thinking  he  had  slipped  through  our  fin 
gers,  I  directed  the  guide  to  lead  us  to  the  principal 
priest.  He  at  first  resisted,  but  I  admonished  him  of 
danger  more  near  than  priest's  curses,  when  he  led  off. 
We  caught  his  holiness  just  as  he  was  retiring,  and 
informed  him  that  he  was  wanted — that  we  were  Ameri 
cans.  He  seemed  to  be  very  much  affrighted  at  the 
name  Americanos.  I  informed  him  that  we  wanted 
quarters  for  the  night,  and  must  have  possession  of  the 
strongest  buildings  at  his  command.  If  he  hesitated  or 
declined,  we  would  worship  with  him  at  his  own  church 
altar.  In  his  terror  he  was  ready  to  do  anything;  he 
seized  a  large  bundle  of  keys,  and  I  directed  Efner  to 
bring  up  the  men.  (He  had  drawn  them  up  alongside 
of  a  high  wall,  and  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  it  was 
impossible  to  judge  of  their  numbers.) 

I  trudged  along  with  the  priest  up  to  the  public  square^ 
or  plaza,  where  there  was  a  large  building,  inclosed  by 
double  walls.  We  entered  the  gates,  and  in- a  short  time 
his  holiness  had  opened  rooms  sufficient  to  quarter  at 
least  five  hundred  soldiers.  When  I  informed  him  that 
the  room  already  at  our  command  was  sufficient  for  our 
troops,  and  seeing  that  we  had  a  position  where  we  could, 
for  a  time,  resist  Santa  Anna  and  all  his  forces,  I 
released  the  padre,  and  threw  myself  down  to  attempt 
to  get  a  little  rest.  Before  retiring,  however,  sentinels 
had  been  placed  at  both  outer  and  inner  gates,  thus 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  151 

guarding  ourselves  from  danger  by  assault;  and  knowing 
that  they  could  not  have  the  least  idea  of  my  numbers, 
they  would  naturally  wish  for  a  parley,  and  that  would 
enable  me  to  ascertain  what  I  wished  to  find  out,  to  wit, 
the  amount  of  the  enemy's  force,  if  any,  stationed  there; 
for  as  yet  we  had  not  seen  even  a  sentinel. 

In  less  than  an  hour  there  was  a  challenge  at  the  outer 
gate;  I  hastened  to  ascertain  the  cause,  and  found  a 
delegation  from  the  alcaldes,  saying  that  they  wished  to 
see  the  commandant.  I  well  knew  that  it  was  no  time 
to  show  the  white  feather.  I  thrust  a  revolver  in  my 
pocket,  buckled  on  my  sword,  and  taking  Lebenstien, 
my  interpreter^  followed  the  delegation  across  the  plaza 
to  what  seemed  to  be  a  large  council  hall.  Here  I 
found  assembled  the  two  alcaldes,  the  priest  we  recently 
had  under  arrest,  and  about  twenty  of  the  principal 
officers  of  the  town.  On  our  entrance,  the  ordinary  salu 
tations  being  over,  some  remark  was  made  by  the  prin 
cipal  alcalde  to  Lebenstien,  to  which  he  replied,  evi 
dently  in  not  the  purest-  Spanish.  The  alcalde,  then,  in 
good  King's  English,  asked  him  if  he  spoke  English. 
I  then  advanced  and  told  him  if  he  spoke  that  language, 
I  could  answer  for  myself;  if  not  as  fluently  as  Paul  did 
before-  Festus  and  Agrippa,  at  least  sufficiently  so  to 
make  myself  understood.  Upon  this,  he  remarked  that 
I  must  be  aware  that  the  entering  of  their  town  by  an 
armed  force  required  some  explanation.  I  promptly  an 
swered  that  my  mission  was,  if  they  offered  no  resistance, 
to  protect;  but  if  hostile,  to  reduce  their  city.  He  said, 
"By  what  authority?"  I  answered,  "By  the  authority  of 
the  American  Republic,  and  a  force  of  one  hundred  men, 
sufficient  to  reduce  any  city  in  Mexico."  A  smile  crossed 


152  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OE 


his  face,  and  he  turned  and  addressed  something  to  those 
around  him.  I  added,  "  I  learn  that  there  is  a  large  force 
assembled  at  this  place,  meditating  a  hostile  descent 
upon  Tampico."  He  turned  to  me  and  said:  "  You 
have  the  positive  assurance  of  our  pacific  intention,  by 
permitting  you  to  take  possession  of  the  stronghold  of 
our  town;  and  so  far  as  the  force  is  concerned,  of  which 
you  speak,  there  were  about  five  thousand  assembled, 
but- not  for  the  purpose  you  suppose.  It  \vas  a  land 
difficulty,  and  the  descent  meditated  was  not  against  the 
American  forces,  but  upon  Pueblo  Viejo,  to  redress 
aggrievances;  but  they  have  given  up  the  expedition, 
and  disbanded  eight  days  since,  not  having  received  the 
assistance  calculated  on  by  our  citizens.  If  a  formal 
surrender  of  the  town  is  demanded,  as  your  language 
would  imply,  the  proper  authority  is  present  for  that 
purpose."  I  informed  him  that  while  we  demanded  the 
surrender  of  the  town,  it  was  not  my  intention  in  the 
least  to  interfere  with  their  local  government,  or  police 
regulations,  and  that  he  would  continue  to  conduct  them 
the  same  as  usual;  but  they  must  from  henceforth  con 
sider  themselves  an  American  town,  under  the  conquest 
of  General  Gates,  of  Tampico. 

The  principal  priest  then  filled  a  large  foot  glass,  the 
largest  I  had  ever  seen,  with  wine  (and  as  I  thought, 
resembling  the  "  cup  of  Hercules  "),  and  presented  it  to 
me  to  drink.  I  gave  them  to  understand  they  must  first 
try  their  own  poison,  which  the  alcalde  readily  under 
stood;  and  after  drinking  to  our  commander,  passed  it, 
in  which  I  pledged  the  alcalde  and  officers  of  Tampico 
el  Alto.  The  alcalde  then  asked  if  they  could  be  of  any 
service  to  our  command;  I  told  him  if  he  would  furnish 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  153 


a  couple  of  buckets,  and  allow  two  of  his  men  to 
accompany  two  of  mine  to  fill  them  with  water,  I  would 
trespass  no  farther.  This  he  readily  assented  to,  after 
which  the  alcalde  gave  me  a  cordial  invitation  to  accom 
pany  him  home;  to  this  I  consented,  spending  a  couple 
of  hours  very  agreeably  with  him.  I  learned  from  him 
that  he  had  been  educated  in  New  York,  and  had  trav 
eled  much  in  the  United  States. 

I  took  my  leave  of  him  about  one  o'clock,  and  assured 
him  that  I  should  return  with  my  force  early  the  next 
morning  as  quietly  as  I  had  entered  the  place.  This  I 
did,  and  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  was  with  Com 
pany  I  at  Pueblo  Viejo.  The  same  afternoon  I  reported 
myself  to  General  Gates,  together  with  the  facts  heretofore 
stated.  I  was  severely  reprimanded,  and  threatened  to 
be  cashiered,  for  disobedience  of  orders. 

Perhaps  it  served  me  right  for  bursting  the  bubble,  as 
General  Gates'  report  showed  that  Tampico  el  Alto  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  and  there  being 
now  nothing  to  threaten  Tampico,  so  large  a  force  was 
no  longer  needed;  consequently  we  soon  received  orders 
to  join  General  Scott  before  Vera  Cruz. 


,       CHAPTER    XVII. 

MEMOIRS    OF   THE   MEXICAN   WAR — CONTINUED. 

AMONG  the  troops    concentrated    and  designed   to 
march  upon  the  Mexican  capital,  was  the  regiment 
under  Walker.     The  command  was  known  as  the  Texas 
Rangers.     I  had   often   heard   Walker  spoken  of  as  a 
daring  officer,  and  one  who  had  long  been  imprisoned  by 
II 


154  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


the  Mexicans,  having  been  captured  by  them  in  the 
struggle  between  Mexico  and  Texas.  I  had  imagined 
the  appearance  of  my  youthful  hero,  and  I  had  pictured 
him  as  a  large,  stalwart,  dark  man,  whose  very  look- 
would  cause  an  enemy  to  quail  before  him;  but,  on  meet 
ing  him  for  the  first  time,  my  idol  was  shattered  and 
fell  to  the  ground;  for  in  the  real  Walker  I  found  a  man, 
to  the  best  of  my  judgment  about  five  feet  ten  inches 
high,  thin  and  wiry,  of  light  complexion,  with  pale  blue 
eyes,  and  of  a  fine  nervous  temperament.  Out  of  a  thou 
sand  men,  he  would  be  the  last  that  you  would  take  for 
a  fighter. 

I  find  that  history  has  said  but  little  in  regard  to  him, 
and  I  cannot  throw  much  light  on  the  subject  further  than 
this:  I  know  that  he  led  the  advance  in  the  line,  captured 
San  Juan,  routed  a  small  band  of  guerrillas  at  the  Rob 
ber's  Bridge,  sacked  and  partly  demolished  Santa  Anna's 
hacienda  at  that  place,  met  and  dispersed  a  lot  of  lan- 
ceros  at  Agua  Cotta,  made  a  brilliant  dash  and  took  the 
castle  of  Perote  and  put  the  most  of  the  garrison  to  the 
sword,  remembering  the  fate  of  his  brother  at  that  place; 
and  thereby  hangs  a  tale. 

During  the  war  between  Texas  and  Mexico,  Walker 
and  his  brother  were  attached  to  a  command  who  were 
captured  and  made  prisoners  by  the  Mexicans,  and  after 
a  long  and  harassing  march  and  untold  privations, 
reached  the  castle  of  Perote,  where  they  suffered  a  long 
and  solitary  imprisonment,  until  at  length  the  prisoners 
became  a  burden  to  the  powers  that  were,  and  they 
finally  came  to  the  determination  to  rid  themselves  of 
the  burden.  There  being  no  exchanges  to  be  made  of 
prisoners,  with  that  wanton  cruelty  and  hatred  at  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  155 

time  towards  everything  that  was  American,  they 
resolved  to  dispose  of  the  prisoners  there  confined, 
about  three  hundred  in  number.  They  prepared  a  sack 
and  placed  therein  a  number  of  beans,  corresponding  to 
the  number  of  prisoners.  Two-thirds  of  these  beans 
were  black,  while  the  other  third  was  white.  The  pris 
oners  were  then  each  blindfolded,  as  they  were  led  out, 
and  compelled  to  d.raw  a  bean  from  the  sack.  He  who 
drew  a  black  bean  was  posted  at  the  side  of  a  wall 
and  shot  immediately.  Colonel  Walker  drew  a  white 
bean  and  was  liberated,  while  his  brother  drew  a  black 
bean,  and  with  other  unfortunates  was  immediately  shot. 
I  afterwards  saw  the  place  and  took  several  of  the  bat 
tered  bullets  from  the  wall  in  front  of  which  they  were 
placed  and  shot. 

Walker,  before  leaving  the  castle  at  the  dead  hour  of 
night,  deposited  a  ten-cent  piece  beneath  the  foot  of  the 
main  flag-staff  of  the  castle,  and,  with  uncovered  head, 
upon  his  bended  knees,  in  the  presence  of  his  God  and 
the  stars  that  twinkled  above  him  as  solemn,  silent  wit 
nesses,  there  he  registered  his  vow  that,  should  his  life  be 
spared,  at  some  future  day  he  would  come  in  triumph  or 
die  in  the  attempt.  The  war  between  the  United  States 
and  Mexico  had  offered  him  the  opportunity  to  make 
an  attempt  to  carry  out  his  pledge,  an  opportunity  he 
was  not  slow  to  embrace.  After  the  castle  was  taken 
and  after  blood  and  carnage  were  stayed,  our  hero  again, 
with  reverential  awe  and  uncovered  head,  devotedly 
knelt  at  the  foot  of  that  flag-staff  and  removed  his  talis 
man  of  evil  (to  the  Mexicans)  amid  the  congratulations 
and  cheers  of  his  companions-in-arms,  as  the  stars  and 
stripes,  the  emblem  of  America's  great  nation,  com- 


156  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

menced  slowly  creeping  up  the  same  staff,  meeting  the 
Mexican  flag  descending.  As  it  went  aloft,  its  folds 
unfurling  to  the  gentle  breeze,  it  created  surprise  and 
consternation  among  the  gaping  throng  of  Mexicans 
who  had  hastened  from  the  city  of  Perote.  All  was  done 
with  such  celerity  that  it  seemed  rather  as  some  feverish 
dream  than  a  reality  to  the  denizens  of  the  place.  I  am 
devoting  the  most  of  this  chapter  to  one  heroic  man, 
who  evidently  did  not  have  influential  friends  at  home 
to  give  one  blast  on  their  horn  to  sound  his  praise,  or  to 
record  the  deeds  of  the  brave  heart  and  strong  hand 
whose  remains  lie  mouldering  near  Huamantla;  but  I 
will  follow  him  to  the 'end,  and  return  to  our  march. 

To  the  right  of  the  road  leading  to  Puebla,  about 
twelve  miles  distant,  lies  the  important  town  of  Hua 
mantla,  where  was  garrisoned  quite  a  force  of  Mexicans, 
and  it  was  thought  proper  to  reduce  the  place.  Colonel 
Walker,  with  his  rangers,  was  ordered  to  advance  upon 
the  tovvn,  throw  out  a  skirmish  line  and  contrive  to 
occupy  the  Mexican  force  until  the  infantry  and  artillery 
should  arrive;  but  contrary  to  orders  and  caution  against 
recklessness,  Walker,  in  approaching  the  city,  charged, 
sword  in  hand,  when  a  sharp  conflict  ensued.  The 
Mexicans  were  routed,  and  Walker  took  possession  of 
the  place.  But  at  this  juncture  Santa  Anna,  with  eight 
een  hundred  black  horse  cavalry,  made  his  appearance 
over  the  hill  from  the  north  side  of  the  town  and  made 
a  desperate  attack  upon  Walker's  command.  But 
Walker  was  not  found  napping.  He  met  the  charges 
in  battle  shock,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  large  number  of 
the  Mexicans  was  placed  hors  du  combat,  while  the 
balance  left  the  field  in  the  utmost  confusion  and  with 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  157 

more  expedition  than  they  had  entered  it.  Walker, 
undoubtedly  supposing  that  they  would  rally  and  return 
to  the  charge,  had  directed  and  was  superintending  the 
erection  of  a  barricade  across  a  prominent  street,  with 
his  right  resting  upon  a  church,  and  placing  a  piece  of 
ordnance  to  sweep  the  street  (at  this  time  the  place  had 
entirely  surrendered  and  white  flags  were  flying  from 
most  of  the  windows),  when  a  shot  was  fired  from  one 
of  the  windows  of  a  house  from  which  floated  a  white 
flag.  Walker  was  shot  dead,  and  fell  into  the  arms  of 
his  black  body  servant;  and  thus  in  glory  ended  the  brill 
iant  career  of  one  of  our  most  devoted,  brave-hearted, 
and  distinguished  officers.  Of  this  man  I  know  nothing 
more  than  that  I  do  not  find  his  name  inscribed 
high  on  the  escutcheon  of  fame,  and  hence  I  presume, 
as  I  before  remarked,  that  he  left  none  behind  him  that 
had  the  ability  or  disposition  to  pay  to  the  dead  hero 
the  tribute  that  his  valor  demanded. 

Now,  having  gone  forward  to  dispose  of  poor  Walker, 
I  will  return  to  the  main  thread  of  my  story.  The  little 
town  of  San  Juan  was  situated  on  a  small  creek  twenty- 
one  miles  from  Vera  Cruz,  on  the  road  leading  by  the 
way  of  the  National  Bridge.  On  our  arrival  at  San  Juan 
we  found  nothing  but  blackened  embers  where  the  town 
had  once  stood.  Walker  was  in  advance.  It  was  a 
very  good  camping-place  and  we  were  camped  there  for 
several  days.  It  was  at  this  place  that  our  regiment  lost 
its  first  man  after  landing  at  Vera  Cruz.  Up  the  creek 
about  a  mile  and  a  half,  in  a  beautiful  wooded  country  ? 
was  situated  one  of  Santa  Anna's  many  haciendas, 
with  gardens,  fruits,  and  flowers,  and  an  extensive  orange 
grove. 


158  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

The  buildings  had  become  the  head-quarters  of  a 
band  of  guerrillas,  numbering  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty,  who  came  down  and  made  a  sudden  descent  upon 
us  at  break  of  day.  The  pickets  were  driven  in,  the 
camp  was  astir,  and  the  long  roll  was  sounded;  soon  all 
were  under  arms  and  ready  for  fight,  but  no  enemy  was 
to  be  found.  The  menace  was  harmless,  as  no  one  was 
hurt.  One  company  of  our  regiment  was  camped  a 
little  below  us,  towards  the  creek.  There  was  a  grove 
justout  of  musket  range  of  this  company.  Thiscompany 
had  been  recruited  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  of  Illi 
nois.  The  captain  was  sixty-five  years  of  age  (I  have 
forgotten  his  name),  and  his  company  looked  upon  him 
as  a  kind  of  father  to  them,  rather  than  as  a  command 
ing  officer.  About  four  o'clock  the  next  afternoon  this 
band  of  lanceros  filed  out  from  the  grove  and  made  a 
sudden  dash  on  the  old  man's  company,  and,  forming  a 
line,  by  a  skillful  maneuver,  nearly  half  the  command 
poured  a  shower  of  escopet  balls  into  the  camp.  The 
casualty  was  small,  one  man  being  shot  through  the 
head,  while  some  three  or  four  were  slightly  wounded. 
The  company  was  not,  as  you  might  suppose,  thrown 
into  confusion,  but  delivered  into  the  ranks  of  the  run 
ning  enemy  a  well-directed  fire,  which  sent  some  five  or 
six  horses  away  riderless,  while  one  horse  did  not  get 
off  the  ground. 

As  soon  as  the  enemy  had  made  good  their  retreat, 
the  old  captain  came  rushing  into  the  main  camp,  his 
eyes  almost  starting  from  their  sockets,  his  nostrils 
expanded,  his  face  flushed,  and  great  drops  of  perspira 
tion  rolling  down  his  cheeks,  exclaiming,  "  Now  some 
thing  must  be  done;  they  have  killed  John;  they  have 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  159 

shot  him  through  the  head,  and  the  varlets  must  be 
extinguished."  The  captain  claimed  the  right  to  take 
his  company  and  go  out,  like  the  Israelites  of  old,  and 
chastise  the  enemy,  but  he  was  at  last  convinced  that  it 
would  be  very  imprudent  for  a  single  company  or,  in  fact, 
any  other  force  at  that  time,  to  go  in  pursuit,  as  the 
enemy  was  well  acquainted  with  the  country,  and,  being 
mounted,  they  could  ambush  or  avoid  us  as  they  thought 
proper. 

On  consultation  it  was  thought  most  advisable  to 
send  out  spies,  and,  if  possible,  find  their  rendezvous, 
which  was  accordingly  done,  when  we  ascertained  that 
they  had  possessed  themselves  of  the  hacienda  before 
referred  to.  Accordingly  two  companies  were  detailed 
for  a  night  expedition.  Companies  I  and  G  were 
detailed  for  the  service,  and  as  soon  as  night  had  fairly 
set  in,  the  command  was  on  the  march.  We  had  pro 
cured  a  plan  of  the  grounds  and  the  situation  of  the 
stables,  as  well  as  their  relation  to  the  JuiGienda.  The 
command  was  to  be  divided.  One  company  was  to  go 
on  the  east  side  of  the  mansion  and  slip  in  between  the 
shrubbery  and  the  house,  and  the  other  company  was  to 
come  up  on  the  south  side  and  make  a  bold  attack,  the 
force  on  the  east  side  to  prevent  them  from  reaching 
their  horses.  But,  by  some  mistake,  the  company  that 
was  to  attack  from  the  south  side,  got  clear  around  on 
the  west  side,  and  from  some  cause,  I  know  not  whether 
from  a  sentinel  or  by  accident,  the  alarm  was  given. 
The  guerrillas,  as  might  have  been  supposed,  rushed  for 
their  horses,  while  our  men,  on  the  east,  attempted  to 
cut  them  off  from  their  stables.  The  affair  was  of 
short  duration.  The  party  which  was  to  have  kept 


1GO  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

them  from  their  horses  was  a  little  slow,  and  the  most  of 
them  had  reached  the  stables,  but  not  before  the  com 
pany  on  the  west  had  fired  into  their  ranks.  The  party 
on  the  east  side 'mistaking  the  fire  of  our  own  men  upon 
the  lanceros,  returned  it,  which,  had  it  not  been  for  one 
of  those  club  cactus  fences,  would  have  been  disastrous 
to  our  own  men;  as  it  was,  but  two  men  were  wounded, 
and  those  not  dangerously. 

The  building  was  then  entered  and  proved  to  be  well 
filled  with  beautiful  and  very  valuable  furniture,  con 
taining  French  mirrors,  glass  more  than  a  half  inch  in 
thickness,  inclosed  in  beautiful  mahogany  and  black 
ebony  frames,  fine  rosewood  and  mahogany  chairs,  sofas, 
ottomans,  etc.  The  building  was  a  ra<her  rumbling 
structure  and  apparently  fitted  up  in  haste,  and  seemed 
to  be  a  favorite  resort  of  the  one-legged  veteran.  But 
we  made  short  work  of  things  there.  We  gathered 
together  the  most  combustible  portion  of  the  furniture, 
piled  it  in  a  large  room  and  then  applied  a  match  to  it. 
We  also  burned  the  barn  and  out-houses,  leaving  no 
shelter  for  guerrillas.  From  the  light  made  by  the  burn 
ing,  we  picked  up  six  dead  and  dying  Mexicans.  We 
returned  to  camp  well  satisfied  with  the  first  lesson  of 
our  guerrilla  hunting  on  the  route  to  Mexico. 

In.  a  few  days  we  broke  up  camp  and  moved  on  to 
the  Robber's  Bridge,  when  the  Mexicans  showed  them 
selves  in  considerable  force.  But  a  few  shot  and  shell 
completely  dislodged  them.  We  continued  our  march 
until  within  a  short  distance  of  the  National  Bridge, 
when  we  were  opened  upon  by  a  strong  fort  just  above 
the  bridge,  on  the  river  and  on  the  opposite  side  from 
us.  Their  position  was  a  very  strong  one,  and  com- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  161 

manded  the  road  for  a  great  distance.  We  also  opened 
upon  the  fortifications  with  shot  and  shell,  but  to  little 
purpose,  as  their  position  seemed  impregnable.  But 
Yankee  ingenuity  and  the  consummate  skill  of  our  Scott 
was  not  long  in  finding  a  solution  to  the  problem.  A 
force  of  cavalry  was  thrown  across  the  stream  at  a 
remote  point,  undiscovered  by  the  Mexicans,  gaining  the 
rear  and  coming  up  behind  on  a  sloping  hog's  back,  and 
ere  the  Mexicans  were  aware  of  it,  plunged  into  their 
works,  sword  in  hand,  cutting  the  gunners  down  at  their 
posts  and  making  prisoners  of  the  remaining  officers  and 
men,  and,  ere  the  day  closed,  the  batteries  commanding 
the  bridge  were  silenced,  and  the  National  Bridge,  pro 
tected  by  a  well-equipped  Mexican  force,  with  all  its 
natural  strength,  which  heretofore  had  been  thought  to 
be  impregnable,  fell  into  our  hands.  I  have  hardly  ever 
seen  a  point  better  calculated  for  defensive  operations  or 
better  entitled  to  be  deemed  impregnable  than  the  Na 
tional  Bridge.  In  fact,  it  .seemed  the  master-key  to  lock 
us  out  from  the  Mexican  capital.  Having  full  possession 
of  the  National  Bridge,  the  next  door  that  we  were  to 
force  was  the  strong  natural  defense  of  Piano  del  Rio, 
or  "river  of  the  plains,"  and  the  pass  of  Cerro  Gordo. 

As  we  advanced  on  the  Piano  del  Rio,  the  Mexicans 
blew  up  the  bridge  and  we  were  compelled  to  dig  a  road 
down  a  steep  hill,  or  rather  mountain,  in  order  to  cross 
the  stream.  However,  General  Hardy  made  the  Mexi 
cans  perform  the  principal  labor.  We  crossed  the  stream 
and  encamped  on  the  opposite  side,  in  a  small  valley 
that  extended  up  and  down  the  river  at  the  base  of  the 
Cerro  Gordo  Mountains.  The  country  hereabout  is 
very  rough  and  rugged,  interspersed  with  dee'p  and  dark 


162  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ravines,  fantastic  caves,  rolling  hills,  and  lofty  mountains, 
and  through  this  picturesque  country  runs  the  Piano  del 
Rio,  a  rapid  mountain  torrent  of  cold  and  pure  water. 
The  bridge,  which  was  blown  up  at  our  approach,  was  of 
solid  masonry,  built  long  ago,  of  water-washed  cobble 
stones  and  cement,  and  the  rock  and  cement  had  become 
so  inseparably  united  that  when  the  bridge  was  blown  to 
pieces  the  rifts  were  straight,  breaking  the  cobble-stones 
and  cement  alike. 

Our  principal  forces  were  concentrated  at  this  point, 
meditating  a  descent  on  Santa  Anna  in  his  favorite 
stronghold.  In  speaking  of  our  operations  here,  it  is 
not  my  intention  to  reproduce  a  history  of  the  many 
hard-fought  fields  or  glorious  victories  achieved  by  our 
soldiery  in  the  war  with  Mexico;  but  these  are  portions 
of  the  history  of  that  war  that  have  never  been  written. 
And  perhaps  I  might  go  much  further,  and  with  a 
great  degree  of  justice,  and  say  that  the  history  of  the 
Mexican  war  never  was  written.  Though  the  historian 
has  dwelt  upon  the  achievements  of  our  forces  on  many 
a  bloody  field;  has  eulogized  the  acts  of  those  whom 
fame  has  proclaimed  immortal,  other  important  events 
of  that  history  are  wholly  omitted.  The  deeds  of  dar 
ing  of  those  who  had  influential  friends  at  home  to  raise 
their  standards  for  them,  have  had  their  colors  flying  to 
the  breeze  and  their  names  emblazoned  upon  the  pages 
of  history;  but  who  shall  chronicle  the  record  of  the 
friendless  captain,  lieutenant,  non-commissioned  officer 
or  private,  who  there  offered  up  his  life  as  a  sacrifice 
upon  the  altar  of  his  country?  Nor  is  this  the  only 
unwritten  history. 

I   presume  there  are  many   who  will  remember  our 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  163 

encampment  at  Piano  del  Rio,  near  the  foot  of  the  Cerro 
Gordo,  sis  heretofore  stated;  that  Scott's  head-quarters 
were  still  at  the  National  Bridge,  and  that  General  Pat 
terson,  being  next  in  rank,  was  in  command  at  Piano 
del  Rio,  and  that  Patterson  was  confined  to  his  tent  by 
sickness,  and  among  the  general  officers  present  were 
Generals  Twiggs,  Worth,  and  Pillow.  Worth  being 
temporarily  in  command,  and  very  ambitious  (and  what 
officer  of  rank  is  not?)  ordered  an  attack  on  Cerro 
Gordo.  The  attack  was  to  be  made  at  four  o'clock  the 
next  morning,  when  we  were  to  charge  upon  the  Mexi 
can  works  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  and  march  directly  up 
the  road  to  Jalapa.  Men  who  carry  the  knapsack  fre 
quently  have  as  good  an  idea  of  the  practicability  of  an 
attack  as  their  officers  in  command.  That  night  you 
might  have  traversed  the  encampment  and  heard  men 
making  their  non-cupative  wills  on  every  side.  John 
would  say  to  Jim,  "  Now,  Jim,  if  I  am  killed  to-morrow, 
and  you  escape,  I  have  five  dollars  in  my  pocket  and 
Dan  Jones  owes  me  two  and  a  half;  collect  that  and 
send  my  blankets  and  knapsack  to  Sally,  etc."  But 
the  attack  was  not  destined  to  be  made.  General  Patter 
son  arose  from  his  sick  bed,  resumed  his  position  and 
countermanded  the  order  for  an  attack  and  sent  a 
courier  to  inform  General  Scott  of  his  condition,  begging 
him  to  hasten  forward  and  take  command  of  the  army, 
as  he  was  too  sick  to  hold  it,  and  if  he  surrendered  it 
to  Worth;  that  officer  would  sacrifice  it  to  his  ambition. 
Scott  hastened  on  and  assumed  command  and  con 
tinued  the  countermand  until  he  matured  his  plans  of 
attack,  and  with  the  consummate  skill  for  which  he  is  so 
justly  renowned,  he  soon  discovered  that  the  mountain 


164  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

peak  about  half  a  mile  south  of  Cerro  Gordo  com 
manded  the  summit  of  the  latter  mountain.  Upon  the 
top  of  Cerro  Gordo  Santa  Anna  had  his  head-quarters, 
at  the  point  known  as  Telegraph  Station.  With  infinite 
labor  Scott  secretly  got  several  heavy  pieces  of  field  ord 
nance  placed  in  battery,  then  sent  out  sappers  and 
miners  to  clear  out  the  hollow  pass  at  the  right  of  Cerro 
Gordo  Mountain,  and  gave  each  command  its  position 
and  signal  for  attack.  ,  It  will  be  well  remembered, 
doubtless,  that  charges  were  preferred  against  General 
Scott,  and  the  subsequent  court  of  inquiry,  and  that  he 
was  ordered  home  for  trial.  The  countermand  of  the 
order  for  attack  on  Cerro  Gordo,  sustained  by  Scott's 
order  continuing  the  countermand,  I  believe  to  have 
been  the  foundation  of  those  ridiculous  charges,  of 
which  Worth  and  Pillow  were  the  active  agents.  In 
saying  this  much,  I  am  giving  you  but  a  faint  hint  of 
some  portions  of  the  unwritten  history  of  the  Mexican 
War. 

But  before  passing  entirely  from  Cerro  Gordo,  I  can 
not  help  mentioning  one  fact  connected  with  Scott's  order 
for  the  battle  fought  at  that  place,  and  the  way  it  was 
carried  out.  Of  course  it  was  published  and  reached 
the  House  of  Lords  in  England.  When  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  read  it,  he  uncovered  his  head  and  arose  in 
his  place  in  the  House  and  said:  "  England  in  her  more 
prosperous  days  has  achieved  victories;  France,  under 
Napoleon,  was  the  pride  of  the  world;  but  Winfield 
Scott,  of  the  United  States  Army:  is  the  first  man  who 
has  ever  reduced  war  to  a  science." 

That  general  order  was  not  the  only  thing  that  should 
have  called  forth  the  admiration  of  the  whole  civilized 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  165 

world.  Here  was  a  spectacle  heretofore  unheard  of: 
A  mere  handful  of  men,  entering  with  hostile  intentions 
a  nation  of  the  magnitude  of  the  Mexican  Republic; 
they,  a  nation  trained  to  arms  from  their  infancy,  boast 
ing  of  their  military  prowess  and  achievements  in  by 
gone  days;  we,  leaving  a  Congress  behind  us  debating 
whether  they  would  furnish  us  the  means  of  subsistence 
or  whether  we  should  be  left  to  our  fate,  and  some  of 
that  Congress  wishing  that  we  might  be  "  welcomed  by 
bloo'dy  hands  to  inhospitable  graves;"  yet  we  pushed  on, 
with  a  force  never  exceeding  eleven  or  twelve  thousand 
men,  first  capturing  their  metropolis,  then  penetrating  to 
the  heart  of  their  country. 

They  not  only  placed  obstructions  to  prevent  our  ad 
vance,  but  literally  blocked  up  the  roads  behind  us;  in 
fact,  this  practice  was  carried  on  to  such  a  state  of  per 
fection  by  the  Mexicans,  that  when  we  compelled  them 
to  open  the  road  to  admit  our  trains,  it  was  easier  in 
many  places  to  construct  a  new  road  than  to  clear  out 
the  old  one.  It  was  the  uniform  boast  that  not  one  of 
us  should  live  to  tell  the  story;  yet  still  we  pressed  on 
until  victory,  on  many  a  hard-contested  field,  at  last 
enabled  us  to  make  ourselves  masters  of  their  capital, 
where  our  flag  proudly  waved  over  the  halls  of  the  Mon- 
tezumas,  and  ''these  northern  barbarians,"  as  they 
termed  us,  dictated  terms  of  peace,  and  settled  our 
troubles  with  the  erring  sister  republic  with  honor  to  our 
nation  and  a  laudable  pride  to  the  actors  in  the  scene. 

Under  General  Scott's  general  order,  Cerro  Gordo  was 
fought,  and  one  of  the  most  brilliant  victories  obtained 
over  a  largely  superior  force,  over  one-half  of  the  army  of 
the  enemy  on  the  field  being  captured.  It  was  Scott's 


166  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

intention  to  gain  their  rear  and  cut  off  their  retreat  to 
Jalapa.  This  plan  failed  in  part,  but  the  Mexican  army 
was  cut  in  two,and  Santa  Anna  only  escaped  capture  by 
cutting  his  lead  mule  out  of  the  harness,  mounting  upon 
his  back,  and  beating  a  hasty  retreat, — leaving  his  car 
riage  and  wooden  leg  as  trophies  to  our*  Illinois  volun 
teers,  while  his  money-bags  and  treasures  were  left. 
Our  boys  as  they  passed  would  take  their  knives  and 
cut  the  money-bags  without  breaking  ranks,  pocket  a 
handful  of  Mexican  dollars,  and  continue  the  charge 
upon  the  flying  foe.  Santa  Anna's  wooden  leg  was 
brought  home  to  Springfield,  and  deposited  in  our  State 
capitol,  as  a  relic  of  the  great  victory. 

At  Cerro  Gordo  and  near  the  telegraph  station, 
for  more  than  a  month  after  the  great  battle,  the 
boys  might  be  seen  exploring  the  dust  in  quest  of 
Mexican  dollars,  with  which  they  replenished  their 
purses.  Santa  Anna  fell  back  upon  Jalapa  with  a  rem 
nant  of  his  defeated  and  demoralized  army,  reporting  a 
great  victory  over  the  enemy,  and  making  a  forced  loan 
of  the  Mexican  merchants  at  that  place,  to  entirely  an 
nihilate  the  Yankee  army.  But  he  was  not  permitted  to 
remain  long  with  his  shattered  forces  at  that  point,  but 
was  compelled  to  make  a  hasty  retreat  along  the  road 
leading  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  while  the  victorious  Scott 
occupied  Jalapa.  Here  our  regiment  was  left  to  guard 
and  hold  the  post  for  some  time,  while  the  main  army 
was  encamped  outside  the  town. 

In  this  connection,  I  would  remark  that  there  is  a 
most  lovely  mountain  stream  flowing  to  the  west  of  the 
city,  upon  which  an  English  company  had  erected  a 
large  woolen  factory,  employing  a  great  number  of 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  107 


hands.  I  do  not  know  the  altitude  of  Jalapa,  but  it 
must  be  some  8,000  or  9,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea;  in  fact,  it  might  be  considered  a  mountain  town. 
And,  while  lying  there,  we  experienced  several  quite 
heavy  frosts;  yet  in  the  rear  of  the  city,  in  the  month  of 
November,  I  picked  some  very  fine  blackberries,  found 
coffee  maturing  and  oranges  in  all  conditions,  from  the 
blossom  up  to  the  ripe  fruit,  the  frost  seeming  not  to 
affect  vegetation.  I  have  many  a  time  stood  on  the 
hills  back  of  the  city  and  seen  the  clouds  rolling  far  below 
me  over  the  valley. 

After  leaving  this  point,  we  pursued  our  march  en 
route  for  the  city  of  Mexico.  Through  a  deep  gorge  at 
first,  then  descending  quite  a  high  range  of  mountains, 
we  at  length  reached  the  famous  pass  of  Tahoya,  or 
Black  Pass.  Here  the  Mexicans  rallied  and  attempted 
to  make  a  stand.  That  point  is  well  calculated  to  op 
pose  any  advancing  enemy,  as  the  pass  seems  to  be 
through  the  exhausted  crater  of  a  volcano,  and  the  whole 
country  for  miles  around  is  covered  by  a  sharp  pedregal, 
while  the  road  was  blockaded  by  immense  walls  of  the 
same  material,  over  which  it  was  almost  as  difficult  to 
travel  as  over  broken  glass.  But  Yankee  ingenuity  soon 
overcame  all  obstacles,  and  the  road  was  opened  and  the 
Mexicans  flying  before  a  salute  of  grape  and  canister. 
After  crossing  this  mountain,  we  reached  an  elevated 
plain,  with  the  Perote  Mountain  to  our  left,  and  upon 
this  same  plain,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  is  situated 
the  city  and  castle  of  Perote. 

The  Perote  Mountain  exhibits  one  of  the  most  peculiar 
freaks  of  nature  that  I  ever  saw.  At  one  point  it  forms 
a  cone-like  peak,  upon  the  top  of  which  is  an  immense 


168  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

rock  crown  which  projects  on  every  side  like  the  top  of 
a  center-table  over  the  pedestal.  It  resembles  a  large 
box  or  chest,  and  hence  it  is  called  the  Cofre  de  Perote. 
Upon  its  lofty  summit  stands  the  coffer,  with  its  huge 
proportions  resting  upon  a  much  smaller  base  containing 
its  immense  imaginary  treasure.  To  that  lofty  summit 
each  morning,  theeyesof  the  don,  the  senora,  and  peon  are 
alike  turned  up,  with  an  inquiring  look,  to  note  whether 
their  treasures  are  still  safe  in  the  strong  rock-box  on 
the  summit  of  old  Perote.  There  has  been  some  gold 
discovered  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  from  that 
fact,  undoubtedly,  arose  the  name  and  also  the  legend 
that  the  coffer  .contains  untold  treasures  of  gold,  and  at 
some  time  the  coffer  will,  with  its  immense  treasure,  come 
rolling  down  the  mountain. 

This  place  is  remarkable  for  sudden  changes  of  weather 
and  is  consequently  very  sickly.  The  sun  may  be  shin 
ing  brightly  and  in  fifteen  minutes  afterwards  the  rain 
may  be  pouring  in  torrents,  and  again  clearing  up  as  if 
by  magic.  These  changes  frequently  occur  a  dozen 
times  daily.  The  city  of  Perote  contains  several  thou 
sand  inhabitants,  yet  it  presents  but  a  squalid  appear 
ance,  being  built  principally  of  adobe,  and  the  houses 
generally  but  one  story,  rough  and  hovel-like  in  their 
structure.  The  castle  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
the  city  and  upon  a  level  with  it.  The  whole  works  are 
situated  upon  a  level  plain.  Around  the  castle  is  a  deep 
moat,  which  in  times  of  peace  is  dry,  but  which  is  so 
arranged  as  to  be  filled  with  water  at  very  short  notice 
in  case  of  necessity.  All  around  inside  of  the  outer 
wall  are  immense  lions'  heads,  with  their  huge  mouths 
open,  and  at  a  given  signal  they  vomit  forth  immense 
volumes  of  water  to  fill  the  moat. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  169 

The  country  around,  as  before  stated,  being  one  vast 
level  plain,  up  .to  the  base  of  the  mountain,  and  the 
mountain  being  beyond  range  of  artillery,  there  is  noth 
ing  to  command  it,  and,  therefore,  in  the  hands  of  a 
careful  garrison,  it  would  be  a  place  of  great  strength, 
but  of  no  possible  strategic  value.  The  town  is  of  no 
importance,  and  both  town  and  castle,  from  the  nature  of 
the  country,  are  easily  turned/and  there  are  passes  in 
advance  that  would  be  easily  fortified,  avoiding  the  dan 
ger  of  guerrilla  access  or  leaving  an  enemy  in  your  rear; 
in  fact,  I  could  not  see  what  was  to  support  so  large  a 
town  in  that  place.  It  is  too  much  elevated  to  produce 
tropical  fruits,  and  I  saw  but  little  cultivation  of  the  soil. 
In  fact,  the  plain  looked  to  me  to  be  rather  sterile  and 
to  be  adapted  to  grazing  purposes  only.  For  aught  I 
know,  it  may  be  supported,  in  part,  by  mines  in  the 
Perote  Mountains,  but  I  had  no  evidence  of  this. 

From  Perote,  many  miles  west  of  us,  to  the  right  of 
our  road,  lay  Mount  Santa  Cruz,  or  Mount  of  the  Sacred 
Cross.  This  landmark,  as  it  rises  from  the  level  of  the 
plain  to  a  height  of  some  three  thousand  feet,  may  be 
seen  for  many  leagues  around,  and  we  tramped  a  long 
and  tiresome  day's  march  to  reach  it,  finally  encamping 
about  three  miles  to  the  south  of  its  base,  which  seemed 
to  be  scarcely  half  a  mile  distant.  Upon  its  lofty  peak 
which  shot  up  into  the  heavens  like  a  spire,  had  been 
erected  a  cross,  when  the  country  was  invaded  by  Cortez. 
It  looked  from  the  plain  like  two  straws  placed  at  right 
angles,  and  as  we  were  marching  along  during  the  day, 
a  discussion  arose  among  the  officers  as  to  how  long  it 
would  take  a  man  to  ascend  to  the  top  and  bring  down 
a  piece  of  the  holy  cross.  Some  thought  two  weeks  to 
12 


170  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

go  and  come,  while  I  became  the  butt  of  ridicule  for  the 
crowd  by  asserting  that  I  could  go  to  the  summit  and 
bring  down  a  piece  of  the  cross  in  twenty-four  hours. 

We  closed  our  day's  march  and  camped  at  a  Mexican 
village  of  about  two  thousand  inhabitants,  called  Tepeaca. 
When  I  had  finished  my  supper  the  sun  was. almost  an 
hour  high.  1  went  to  one  Henry  Stickler,  a  member  and 
private  of  my  company,  and  asked  him  if  he  would 
like  a  little  adventure,  stating  to  him  at  the  same 
time  that  I  proposed  that  night  to  climb  the  Santa 
Cruz,  and  to  bring  down  a  piece  of  the  holy  cross  before 
morning.  Henry  was  a  well-knit,  daring  man  of  about 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  always  ready  for  an  ad 
venture;  consequently  our  arrangements  were  soon  made 
and  we  took  up  our  line  of  march  for  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  which  we  expected  to  reach  in  about  twenty 
minutes;  but  as  we  proceeded  the  mountain  seemed  to 
recede,  and  night  had  fairly  set  in  before  we  really  com 
menced  our  ascent.  But  while  there  was  the  least 
streaking  of  twilight  in  the  west  we  shot  up  the  steep 
ascent  like  two  young  eagles.  The  full  moon  was  up, 
but  it  gave  us  little  light,  and  as  we  were  on  the  west 
side  of  the  mountain,  the  moon  being  in  the  east,  it 
brought  the  mountain  between  us  and  the  light. 

Still  we  held  our  course  for  the  lofty  summit,  clamber 
ing  over  the  immense  rocks  and  bowlders  which  time 
had  reft  from  the  mountain-side,  not  knowing  but  we 
might  start  them  from  their  long-used  bed  and  precipi 
tate  them  and  ourselves  from  their  airy  station  to  the 
plain  below.  About  two  hours'  labor  brought  us  to  a 
shoulder  of  the  mountain  where  we  stopped  to  take  a 
rest,  and,  with  that  rest,  a  general  view  of  our  position. 
Before  us  lay  the  shadows  of  the  mountain  stretching 


or  THE 
tQTNIVERSITY 


COLONEL  L.  A. 


for  more  than  a  mile  west  of  us  along-  the  level  plain, 
like  the  picture  of  Cleopatra's  Needle,  with  its  sharp 
point  pictured  on  the  bosom  of  the  valley.  The  mount 
ain  seemed  almost  split  asunder  by  an  immense  crater, 
whose  escape  was  to  the  west.  Consequently  we  kept 
around  to  the  east  side.  Now,  being-  aided  by  the 
moon's  rays,  we  again  commenced  our  tortuous  ascent, 
and  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  reached  the 
extreme  summit,  where  had  been  planted  the  Cross  of 
Vera  Cruz,  by  the  early  Spanish  invaders.  It  was  com 
posed  of  Mexican  cedar.  The  timber  was  about  twenty 
inches  square,  the  upright  being  about  twenty  feet  high, 
the  cross-piece  about  ten  feet  long  and  about  fifteen  feet 
from  the  ground.  With  the  aid  of  some  rocks,  and  some 
boosting  on  the  part  of  Henry,  I  was  enabled  to  reach 
the  cross-piece,  and  as  I  sat  upon  it,  I  chopped  off  two 
good-sized  pieces,  one  for  each  of  us. 

But  that  was  not  all  that  we  did.  Our  command  was 
escorting  what  was  known  as  the  big  train,  and  the 
Mexicans  swore  in  their  wrath  that  it  should  never  go 
through.  They  had  made  several  raids,  but  were  always 
defeated,  and  we  knew  that  guerrillas  were  hanging 
on  each  flank.  As  I  stood  on  the  summit  of  Mount 
Vera  Cruz,  apparently  right  at  my  feet  burned  our  camp- 
fires.  To  the  left  and  over  low  ranges  of  hills,  burned 
the  enemy's  camp-fires;  and  yet,  from  appearances,  their 
camps  were  larger  than'  ours.  We  commenced  our  de 
scent  from  the  mountain,  and  at  half-past  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning  we  passed  through  our  lines  and  reported 
ourselves  in  camp,  bringing  the  evidence  that  the  cross 
could  be  reached  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours,  as  well 
as  the  important  discovery  that  the  Mexican  forces  were 
hovering  on  either  flank  of  our  command. 


172  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

AS  I  am  writing  my  own  memoirs,  and  not  the  history 
of  the  Mexican  War,  I  pass  on  in  our  advance  march 
by  Agua  Caliente  Huamantla,  to  the  right  twelve  miles 
(this  is  where  Walker  was  killed),  and  taking  Puebla, 
San  Martine,  and  other  villages  on  the  west,  from  Puebla 
to  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  at  length  arrive  at  a  stream 
high  up  in  the  mountains  called  Rio  Frio,  or  Cold  River. 
I  have  seen  snow  on  its  banks  in  the  summer.  There 
is  quite  a  valley  in  the  gorge  of  the  mountains,  and,  in 
fact,  from  the  immense  height  of  the  Popocatepetl 
Range,  it  is  comparatively  a  very  low  pass  that  we  cross 
to  reach  the  City  of  Mexico.  The  altitude  from  the 
summit  to  the  base  I  never  knew;  but  it  is  about  that 
of  perpetual  snow  in  that  climate.  There  is  quite  a 
village  at  Rio  Frio,  and  we  stationed  our  troops  there  dur 
ing  the  war.  The  aspect  of  the  place  is  cold  and  rather 
forbidding.  Among  other  troops  stationed  there  were 
the  Texas  Rangers  under  Col.  Jack  Hays.  After 
Walker's  death  they  were  of  but  little  importance  to  the 
service.  They  were  not  uniformed  and  but  little  drilled, 
but  they  were  rather  dreaded  by  non-combatants  of  all 
classes.  Colonel  Irwin's  right  and  Captain  Little's  com 
pany  of  cavalry  were  also  stationed  at  this  place  for  a 
long  time  after  the  fall  of  Mexico. 

When  we  had  crossed  the  mountains  at  this  point,  we 
descended  into  the  valley  in  which  is  situated  the  City  of 
Mexico.  I  cannot  recollect  the  distance  from  the  base 
of  the  mountain  to  the  City  of  Mexico;  but  I  remember 
distinctly  that  there  was  no  town  of  any  note  on  the 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  173 

main  road  to  the  city,  between  the  base  of  the  mountains 
and  the  city;  but,  in  order  to  reach  the  city,  we  had  to 
cross  a  morass,  or  what  in  by-gone  ages  and  what  in 
winter  is  still  a  shallow  lake,  upon  a  causeway  about 
eight  miles  in  length.  At  the  eastern  end  of  the  cause- 
.way  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  arises  a  small  but 
abrupt  mountain,  called  Pinon.  This  point  Santa  Anna 
had  made  impregnable  by  three  tiers  of  fortifications,  one 
above  the  other,  which  commanded  the  plain  along  which 
the  road  approached  it,  and  the  entire  causeway  to  the  city. 
Scott's  keen  perceptions  convinced  him  that  it  was 
useless  to  attempt  to  enter  the  city  in  that  way;  hence 
he  kept  up  a  feint  before  Pinon,  and  marched  the  com 
mand  around  to  the  south,  at  the  base  of  the  mountains, 
a  distance  of  sixty  miles,  when  Santa  Anna  awoke  to  a 
realizing  sense  that  he  and  the  fortifications  at  Pinon 
were  "  left  out  in  the  cold,"  and  that  the  "  northern  bar 
barians"  had  whipped  their  forces  at  Contreras,  and  were 
likely  to  enter  the  capital  on  the  west,  instead  of  on  the 
east  side.  And  after  taking  San  Angelo  and  whipping 
them  at  Churubusco,  Molino  del  Rey,  and  Chapultepec, 
we  did  absolutely  enter  the  city  from  the  west,  in  the 
face  of  a  large  square  battery,  hastily  erected  to  give  us 
a  suitable  reception.  And  they  did  make  it  so  warm 
for  us  that  we  were  compelled  to  order  up  sharp-shooters 
to  run  from  the  pier  of  the  aqueduct  until  they  had  the 
parties  within  easy  range  and  picked  them  down  from 
their  guns.  As  the  Mexicans  marched  out  on  one  side 
of  the  city,  we  marched  in  from  the  other,  and  from  the 
evidence  of  joy  at  meeting  us,  I  could  not  help  thinking 
that  they  thought  we  must  have  been  there  before. 
White  flags  were  waving  from  every  window,  and  every 


174  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

balcony  was  crowded  with  ladies,  all  welcoming  us  and 
waving  their  white  handkerchiefs  at  us. 

After  quiet  was  restored  in  the  city,  I  quartered  my 
regiment  in  the  convent  of  San  Domingo,  with  many 
others,  establishing  my  office  as  acting  quartermaster 
and  acting  assistant  commissary  at  the  custom  house. 
True,  the  women  were  all  lovely  and  kind,  but  many  of 
the  men  were  jealous  and  hostile,  though  it  was  soon 
discovered  that  there  were  a  great  many  Mexican  men 
who  got  badly  pricked  with  the  side-arms  of  officers,  and 
that  called  forth  an  order  forbidding  officers  off  duty  to 
wear  their  swords,  which  order  was  strictly  enforced;  yet 
there  was  a  fine  lot  of  5x8  steel  bars  in  the  city,  and 
when  polished  and  pointed  and  ingeniously  fixed  into  a 
hilt,  they  made  a  very  fair  defense  against  toads,  and 
each  of  us  soon  had  a  toad-stabber. 

The  city  is  built  on  a  square,  with  streets  generally  01 
a  respectable  width,  and  also  contains  several  public 
squares  or  plazas,  which  is  one  of  the  prettiest  features 
of  Mexican  towns  of  any  note.  The  drainage  of  the 
city  is  below  and  along  the  center  of  each  street,  and 
discharges  the  contents  into  the  moat  that  surrounds  the 
city.  The  present  State  house,  or  palace,  is  a  very  im 
posing  structure,  and  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the 
main  plaza,  and  almost  adjoining  this  is  the  museum,  in 
which  is  deposited  many  robes  of  fine  texture  and  furs 
of  every  description,  bows,  arrows,  javelins,  and  other 
weapons,  they  being  arms  and  clothing  claimed  to  have 
been  preserved  from  the  days  of  the  Aztec  race;  but 
what  struck  me  as  the  most  curious  of  all  the  relics,  was 
an  immense  copper  man  and  horse,  standing  on  a  ped 
estal  of  colossal  size,  the  whole  weight  of  which  must  be 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  175 

from  thirty  to  forty  tons,  judging  from  appearances. 
This  marvel  of  art  I  was  informed  was  a  present  from 
some  king  of  Austria,  or  some  one  of  the  German  States, 
and  had  been  transported  by  the  way  of  Vera  Cruz  over 
the  mountains  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  Opposite  the  hall 
or  palace,  across  the  plaza  and  on  the  west  side  thereof, 
stands  the  famous  Bella  Union,  a  hotel  and  the  principal 
gambling  hall  in  the  City  of  Mexico,  where  it  is  said  a 
million  of"  dollars  changes  hands  in  a  single  night.  It  is 
a  building  of  immense  proportions,  four  stories  in  height. 
You  enter  through  a  hall  into  a  covered  court  inside, 
which  is  lighted  from  above  by  a  glass  dome.  The  lower 
or  ground  floor  of  this  vast  court  is  circular  in  form,  and 
the  entire  walls  are  covered  with  large  mirrors.  The 
floor  is  composed  of  marble  blocks,  each  about  twelve 
inches  square,  alternately  black  and  white. 

There  is  a  series  of  galleries  from  the  bottom  to  the 
top,  the  rooms  all  fronting  inwards  on  this  immense  court, 
around  which  verandas  are  built,  as  before  stated.  The 
rooms  run  through  to  the  outer  walls,  through  which 
many  of  them  are  lighted  by  windows.  The  inner 
porches  or  verandas,  as  well  as  many  of  the  rear  rooms, 
are  filled  with  gaming  tables,  which  as  a  general  thing 
are  filled  each  night  with  players.  I  have  often  witnessed 
the  old  don  marching  ahead  of  his  servant,  who  followed 
with  his  small  iron  trunk  loaded  with  its  golden  freight 
of  doubloons.  On  one  occasion  I  watched  the  betting  of 
one  who  came  in  thus  provided  for,  at  a  monte  table,  and 
remained  a  quiet  observer  from  nine  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing  till  two  in  the  morning.  The  old  fellow  was  out  of 
luck,  and  I  saw  his  sack  of  doubloons  gradually  melt 
away.  I  saw  him  stake  seventy-two  doubloons  on  the 


176  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

turn  of  a  single  card,  and  lose.  He  took  the  thing  with 
the  utmost  composure,  smoking  his  cigarette  all  the 
while.  They  were  still  playing  when  I  left,  but  I  learned 
the  next  day  that  the  bank  had  broken  him. 

The  south  side  of  the  plaza  was  principally  occupied 
by  stores,  while  on  the  north  side  was  situated  the  fa 
mous  cathedral  of  Mexico.  I  never  made  myself  thor 
oughly  acquainted  with  the  outside  of  the  city.  There 
were  three  things  which  prevented  it:  First,  though  the 
city  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  it  was  all  that 
a  man's  life  was  worth  to  ramble  off  in  the  outskirts  alone; 
secondly,  I  was  very  busy  while  there;  and  thirdly,  my 
right  arm  was  in  a  sling,  and  I  was  not  very  well  able 
to  defend  myself  in  case  of  trouble.  And  hereby  hangs 
a  tale  which  I  thought  I  would  leave  untold,  or  rather 
leave  it  for  others  to  tell;  but  as  I  am  writing  of  my  own 
personal  adventures,  perhaps  it  would  not  be  right  for 
me  to  omit  it. 

There  was  no  one  better  acquainted  with  the  fact  than 
the  Mexicans,  that  commissary  and  quartermaster  stores 
were  hard  to  get  by  an  American  army  invading  Mexico, 
and,  consequently,  they  were*  ever  on  the  alert  to  cut 
them  off.  I  was  acting  quartermaster,  and,  following  up 
our  brilliant  successes  with  our  supply  train,  with  a 
mounted  guard  of  two  hundred  men  en  route  from  Con- 
treras  to  Churubusco,  when  at  a  short  distance  from  San 
Angelo,  I  saw  a  command  of  from  five  hundred  to  six 

o 

hundred  lancers  coming  up  on  a  brisk  trot  and  their 
leader  bravely  riding  in  advance  of  the  column.  In  fact, 
he  was  so  far  in  advance  that  I  thought  he  wanted  a 
parley.  I  rode  out  towards  him,  when  he  immediately 
drew  and  charged  out  to  meet  me.  I  drew  my  saber 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  177 

and  we  met  about  midway  between  our  commands,  and, 
as  we  advanced,  I  suppose  that  we  were  each  measuring 
our  man.  At  least  I  was  measuring  mine.  He  was  a 
compactly  built  man  of  less  length  of  limb,  but  rather 
higher  than  myself.  He  was  mounted  on  a  splendid 
(and  speaking  comparatively)  large  mustang.  I  was 
mounted  on  an  active  American  horse.  We  met  I  at 
once  discovered  that  our  horses  were  about  equally 
trained,  but,  with  all  my  boosted  skill  (having  been 
trained  in  cavalry  saber  exercise  by  Lesser  Lebenstein, 
the  Pole),  my  antagonist  was  the  better  swordsman  of 
the  two. 

His  first  attempt  was  to  cut  my  rein.  Finding  that  I 
was  no  novice  in  the  art,  and  I,  about  the  same  time, 
discovering  that  I  had  more  in  my  man  than  I  had  bar 
gained  for,  business  commenced  in  earnest.  We  both 
held  ourselves  close  on  our  guard,  while  we  rapidly  plied 
our  cuts  and  parried  with  all  our  skill.  I  pinked  him  a 
little  in  the  right  side  by  an  interpoint  that  he  had  not 
fully  parried,  when  he  rose  in  his  stirrups,  dealt  me  an 
over-hand  cut,  which  I  had  not  found  laid  down  in  our 
tactics  (hence  I  claimed  it  out).  I  tried  to  parry,  but 
his  blade  followed  mine  down  to  the  hilt,  severing  my 
guards  like  straws,  and  buried  his  blade  deep  in  my 
wrist  and  palm,  severing  the  cords  and  pulsating  arteries 
of  the  palm,  and  being  heated  by  my  exertions  in  the 
fight  the  blood  spurted  for  many  feet,  and  full  in  the 
face  of  my  adversary;  but,  unfortunately  for  him,  he  had 
buried  his  blade  so  deep  in  my  guards  that  he  could  not 
immediately  withdraw  it,  and  by  suddenly  turning  my 
arm  and  by  a  rapid  motion  of  my  left  hand,  retaining 
my  rein,  I  seized  my  revolver  and  opened  fire.  When 


178  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

I  had  discharged  four  shots  in  rapid  succession,  such  had 
been  his  exertions  that  he  had  withdrawn  his  blade  to 
within  six  inches  of  the  point.  During  this  contest,  there 
had  been  no  advance,  nor  was  one  shot  fired  by  either 
command;  but  when  they  saw  his  saddle  empty  a  most 
deafening  shout  went  up  from  my  men.  I  wheeled  my 
horse,  ordered  an  advance,  and  rode  through  the  lines  to 
the  rear.  The  first  volley  from  our  carbineers  was  at 
point  blank  range.  Still  advancing  and  drawing  their 
holster  pistols,  they  literally  fired  into  the  enemies' 
faces,  while  they  were  blazing  away  with  their  old  esco- 
pets  with  but  slight  damage  to  my  command,  and  by 
the  time  we  came  to  the  saber,  the  foe  was  in  rapid  but 
demoralized  retreat.  My  boys  would  have  pursued  their 
advantage  further  but  I  did  not  allow  them  to  do  so, 
as  my  duty  only  extended  to  the  protection  of  my  train. 
As  it  was,  I  never  saw  as  many  men  hors  du  combat  for 
the  length  of  time  and  numbers  engaged,  the  whole 
affair  after  their  leader  fell,  not  occupying  more  than  ten 
minutes;  but  I  could  no  longer  keep  my  saddle,  and  was 
borne  to  the  rear,  when  it  was  discovered,  from  the  great 
loss  of  blood,  that  they  could  not  take  up  the  arteries, 
and  the  surgeon  was  compelled  to  give  me  alcohol  to 
raise  a  pulse  so  as  to  enable  him  to  take  them  up.  It 
was  found  on  examination  that  twenty-seven  of  the 
enemy  were  dead  on  the  field,  beside  fifty-two  wounded 
prisoners.  And  thus  ended  the  hottest  little  tiine  I  ever 
experienced  in  Mexico.  And  though  I  never  have  been 
able  to  boast  of  much  good  luck,  I  congratulated  myself 
here  as  having  made  a  very  lucky  escape  with  the  com 
parative  loss  of  the  use  of  my  right  hand.  It  is  truathat 
it  was  unfortunate  for  me,  and  equally  so  for  those  who 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  179 

have  to  decipher  the  hieroglyphics  made  by  the  same 
hand.  From  this  digression,  I  will  return  again  to  the 
city. 

Our  command  was  stationed  in  the  convent  of  San 
Domingo,  near  the  custom  house.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  perfect  labyrinths  that  I  ever  saw.  A  regiment  of 
men  could  be  lost  in  it.  I  made  it  a  point  never  to 
occupy  more  space  than  was  needed  to  quarter  my  men ; 
and  this  fact  was  always  appreciated  by  the  padres. 
Consequently,  they  and  myself  were  on  the  best  of  terms. 
I  always  guarded  as  much  as  possible  against  that  spirit 
of  vandalism  that  pervaded  the  army.  The  building 
covers  two  blocks,  having  been  arched  over  a  street 
which  runs  under  a  portion  of  the  vast  structure.  In 
discussing  the  magnitude  of  the  building,  I  heard  a 
wager  offered  and  refused  that  a  man  could  not  step 
into  and  write  his  name  in  each  room,  in  twelve  hours. 

One  of  my  friends,  a  principal  among  the  padres, 
kindly  offered  to  take  me  through  and  show  me  the 
chapels.  The  day  was  appointed,  and  we  commenced 
our  tour  of  inspection.  I  went  through  nine  different 
chapels  in  the  building,  but  I  was  so  much  indisposed 
that  I  was  forced  to  quit  my  promenade  for  that  day, 
and  I  never  afterwards  had  an  opportunity  to  finish  up 
the  exploration.  The  chapels  which  I  visited  were 
ornamented  with  great  taste  and  the  appointments  with 
out  regard  to  cost.  There  were  many  of  the  most  beau 
tiful  chandeliers  that  I  ever  saw,  with  many  other  cut- 
glass  ornaments,  which  I  was  assured  were  all  the  handi 
work  of  the  padres.  There  was  also  a  great  number  of 
exquisite  paintings  adorning  the  walls,  which  were  also 
the  work  of  the  padres  and  the  nuns.  While  passing 


180  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

through  these  gorgeous  apartments,  I  felt  as  though  I 
were  treading  the  halls  of  Monte  Cristo  palace,  rather 
than  a  place  for  the  worship  of  God.  The  priests  and 
nuns  only  know  the  extent  of  this  edifice,  and  I  presume 
there  are  many  who  have  been  immured  within  its  walls 
for  years  who  know  less  of  its  extent  than  myself. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE    MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

IN  the  City  of  Mexico  I  was  filling  three  important 
offices,  to  wit,  acting  quartermaster,  acting  assistant 
commissary  of  subsistence,  and  ordnance  officer,  yet  I 
had  much  of  my  time  to  myself  while  in  camp  or  garri 
son.  The  condition  upon  which  I  accepted  the  appoint 
ments  was  that  I  should  have  the  privilege  of  going  into 
the  command  and  selecting  therefrom  just  such  assistance 
as  I  needed;  accordingly  I  had  selected  three  clerks,  one 
for  the  quartermaster  department,  one  for  the  commissary, 
and  one  for  the  ordnance  department,  and  they  were  all 
men  much  more  competent  in  a  practical  business  sense 
than  myself.  Consequently  I  had  but  little  more  to  do 
than  to  sign  vouchers  and  make  my  reports  to  Wash 
ington.  .  We  had  not  been  in  the  city  more  than  a  month, 
when,  during  my  leisure,  I  had  visited  the  cathedral,  the 
halls  of  the  Montezumas,  Chapultepec,  the  aqueduct,  and 
other  prominent  places  in  and  about  the  city,  with  vari 
ous  other  adventures  unimportant  to  my  narrative.  But 
at  last  I  stumbled  upon  one  which  I  think  is  worthy  of 
relating,  and  consequently  1  give  it  a  place. 

Near  the  center  of  the  city  is  a  magnificent  plaza,  or 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  181 

public  square,  ornamented  with  low  shrubbery,  water 
fountains,  flagged  walks,  low  palms,  and  rustic  seats; 
and  joutsjde  of  these  is  a  nice  flagged  walk  for  pedes 
trians;  then,  outside  of  that,  a  small  border  of  grass, 
about  four  feet  wide,  with  low  curbing,  some  four  to 
six  inches  above  the  level;  and  again,  outside  of  all, 
is  a  lovely  carriage  drive,  where  myriads  of  fine  car 
riages  are,  through  the  day  and  until  late  in  the  even 
ing,  constantly  driving.  One  pleasant  afternoon  I  was 
strolling  leisurely  around  this  plaza,  when  I  noticed  a 
magnificent  carriage  drive  past  quite  close  to  where  I 
was  walking,  and  I  also  noticed  that,  as  it  approached 
me,  the  horses  (two  beautiful  blacks)  slackened  their 
pace  and  kept  along  on  a  walk  for  some  time.  But  as 
I  was  lounging  and  stopping  every  few  steps,  admiring 
shrubbery,  etc.,  I  paid  but  little  attention  further  than  to 
notice  that  the  carriage  mended  its  pace  as  soon  as  it 
passed  me.  I  thought  no  more  of  it,  and  had  com 
menced  retracing  my  steps,  when  again  I  was  attracted 
by  the  splendid  equipage,  and,  as  before,  when  it 
approached  the  spot  where  I  was,  again  the  pace  was 
slackened.  I  then  noticed  that  there  were  but  two  per 
sons  connected  with  the  vehicle — the  driver  outside,  and 
a  female  dressed  in  black,  and  shrouded  in  a  thick  black 
veil.  As  before,  after  they  passed  me,  the  carriage 
increased  its  pace.  By  this  time  my  curiosity  was  thor 
oughly  aroused.  I  continued  for  some  time  in  the  place 
where  they  passed  me,  when  I  slowly  continued  my 
walk,  and,  for  the  third  time,  I  noticed  the  carriage 
approaching,  and  again  slackening  its  pace.  This  time, 
when  it  came  opposite  to  me,  the  lady  passed  her  white 
handkerchief  before  her  face,  and  quite  naturally  dropped 


182  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

it  out  of  the  carriage.  I  sprang  forward,  picked  up  the 
handkerchief,  and  presented  it  to  the  lady,  who  acknowl 
edged  the  compliment  by  an  inclination  of  the  head, 
at  the  same  time  passing  me  a  card,  and  away  went  lady? 
carriage,  and  driver.  The  card  contained  some  writing 
in  a  lady's  hand,  but  in  Spanish,  which  I  could  not  read. 

I  made  my  way  to  head-quarters,  called  my  man 
Lebenstein,  my  interpreter,  and  the  card  proved  to  be  a 
request  to  call  at  a  certain  street  and  number  that  even 
ing.  Lebenstein  insisted  that  I  must  not  go,  as  there 
was  treachery  at  the  bottom  of  the  matter.  I  pretended 
to  coincide  with  his  views,  although  secretly  determining 
to  investigate  the  matter.  Accordingly,  the  first  thing 
I  did  was  to  find  the  street  and  number,  and  discovered 
that  it  was  in  the  most  fashionable  part  of  the  town,  and 
but  a  short  distance  from  my  quarters.  My  next  move 
was  to  confide  the  matter  to  two  trusty  friends,  Sergeant 
Efner  and  Henry  Stickler,  and,  after  some  deliberation, 
it  was  arranged  that  they  were  to  patrol  in  front  of  the 
building,  ready  to  catch  the  first  alarm  in  case  of 
treachery. 

At  nine  o'clock  sharp,  we  all  went  on  the  ground; 
I  rang  the  bell  at  the  outer  gate,  and  was  promptly 
admitted  by  a  female  servant,  who  conducted  me  through 
an  arched  passage  to  an  inner  court.  I  was  not  long  in 
discovering  that  I  was  entering  the  premises  of  wealth 
and  luxury.  The  court  was  large  and  commodious, 
with  a  beautiful  jetting  fountain  in  the  center,  statuary 
stationed  at  intervals,  and  two  or  three  orange  trees, 
which  are  quite  common  in  that  country.  All  around 
this  court  were  projecting  balconies,  covered  over  by  the 
upper  roof,  with  hanging  lamps  that  lighted  up  the 
whole  place. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  183 

I  followed  the  servant  up  a  flight  of  stairs  to  the  first 
floor,  where  I  was  ushered  into  a  most  magnificent 
drawing-room,  when  the  girl  informed  me  that  her  mis 
tress  would  be  in  presently.  She  withdrew,  and  in  less 
than  a  minute  the  object  of  my  adventure  made  her 
appearance,  and,  O  ye  gods!  what  an  appearance!  I 
had  seen  women  in  dreams,  in  story,  and  in  reality;  but 
nothing  in  point  of  beauty  and  loveline  ss  equal  to  the 
being  that  now  stood  before  me.  Remember  that  I  was 
young  and  impressible,  and  internally  exclaimed,  "A 
"goddess!"  She  moved  toward  me  with  all  the  grace  of 
a  sylph,  with  embarrassment  upon  her  countenance 
offering  an  apology  for  her  seeming  boldness  in  inviting 
a  stranger  to  call  on  her  at  that  hour,  and  assured  me 
that  secresy  in  the  matter  could  only  secure  her  protec 
tion.  I  stammered  out  something,  I  know  not  what,  in 
reply.  But  she  soon  made  me  understand  that  business 
also  had  dictated  her  course,  and  when  seated,  she 
attempted  to  enter  upon  a  more  elaborate  explanation, 
stating  that  her  business  was  of  such  a  nature  that,  in 
those  troublesome  times,  she  could  not  entrust  it  to  the 
Mexican  authorities,  and  that  she  had  no  friend  among 
the  Mexicans  to  whom  she  could  confide  her  troubles; 
that  being  near  my  quarters  she  had  often  seen  me,  and 
had  made  up  her  mind  that  if  I  would  befriend  her,  she 
would  confide  in  me. 

I  assured  her  of  my  willingness  to  do  all  in  my  power 
to  aid  and  protect  her  against  wrong  and  intrigues;  but 
as  she  spoke  no  English,  and  I  but  little  Spanish,  it 
was  impossible  for  me  to  learn  the  true  condition  of 
things,  except  through  an  interpreter.  She  had  already 
informed  me  that  she  had  been  a  wife;  that  her  husband 


184  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

had  been  a  general  in  the  Mexican  army,  and  had  fallen 
at  Cerro  Gordo;  that  he  was  wealthy;  that  she  was  his 
sole  heir,  but  that  some  of  his  relatives  were  attempting 
to  cheat  her  out  of  her  property.  After  considerable 
conversation  on  her  part,  I  not  understanding  a  quarter 
she  said,  I  asked  her  if  she  had  any  person  about  her 
estate  who  could  talk  English.  She  informed  me  that 
she  had  not;  that  she  kept  but  three  trusty  servants, — 
a  man  and  wife,  and  coachman,  none  of  whom  could 
talk  English.  It  was  at  length  arranged  that  I  was  to 
entrust  Lebenstein,  my  interpreter,  as  I  thought  him 
safe,  and  I  was  to  renew  my  visit  the  next  night,  at  the 
same  hour,  and  bring  my  interpreter,  when  the  subject 
was  dropped  for  the  evening.  She  rang  and  ordered 
refreshments,  among  which  were  champagne  and  Madeira 
wines,  nuts,  candies,  bananas,  oranges,  etc. 

At  eleven  o'clock  I  took  leave  of  my  goddess,  with 
many  kind  assurances,  and  met  my  companions  at  the 
street  gate,  who  scolded  me  for  keeping  them  on  guard 
so  long.  To  satisfy  the  boys,  we  repaired  to  an  oyster 
saloon,  took  a  stew,  and  then  went  to  quarters,  where 
an  adjutant  from  General  Butler  bore  marching  orders 
for  our  regiment,  the  next  morning  at  five  o'clock.  I 
shall  not  attempt  here  to  analyze  my  feelings.  I  first 
rushed  to  Colonel  Hick's  headquarters  and  begged  him 
to  let  me  remain  on  leave  for  two  days,  when  I  would 
follow.  But,  as  I  expected,  my  efforts  were  unavailing; 
for  as  acting  quartermaster  the  regiment  could  not  move 
until  I  had  put  it  in  motion.  I  then  flew  back  to  the 
house  of  my  angelic  one,  rang  the  bell  several  times,  but 
could  get  no  response,  and  was  compelled  to  give  the 
matter  up  at  least  for  that  time,  trusting  to  the  chapter 
of  accidents  to  make  it  right. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  185 

Our  destination  was  the  city  of  Puebla,  where  we 
arrived  on  the  sixth  day,  and  it  took  me  about  one  week 
to  get  the  regiment  fairly  quartered.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  I  applied  to  Colonel  Childs,  military  governor 
at  Puebla  at  that  time,  for  permission  to  return  to  the 
City  of  Mexico  on  an  eight-day  furlough.  He  refused 
to  let  me  return  to  the  city,  saying  that  I  could  have 
my  business  done  through  the  department  at  the  city. 
I  then  forwarded  a  like  request  to  General  Scott  (who 
had  'always  been  my  friend).  He  gave  me  leave  of 
absence  for  eight  days.  I  joined  a  party  of  officers,  and 
in  three  days  thereafter  I  was  in  the  City  of  Mexico.  I 
waited  until  nightfall  and  then  repaired  to  the  residence 
of  my  lovely  unknown.  I  rang  the  bell,  but  to  no  pur 
pose;  and  after  a  long  investigation  and  thorough  explora 
tion  of  the  surroundings,  I  became  fully  satisfied  that  I 
was  the  only  person  about  the  premises,  and  that  the 
house  was  closed.  The  three  weeks  that  I  had  been 
unavoidably  detained,  I  found  had  separated  me  from 
my  fair  one  forever.  Of  her  fate  and  fortune  I  have 
never  learned  a  word;  but  such  beauty  as  hers,  her 
pleasing  manner  and  address,  would  be  sure  to  command 
friends  everywhere. 

I  was  determined,  while  on  this  trip,  to  revisit  the 
battle-field  of  Contreras.  In  accordance  with  that 
notion,  I  tried  to  raise  a  small  party  of  officers  to 
accompany  me  from  the  city.  The  distance,  as  well  as 
I  can  now  remember,  was  about  nine  miles.  After  con 
siderable  effort  I  failed  to  get  any  one  to  venture  out; 
consequently,  I  thought  I  would  venture  as  far  as  San 
Angelo,  that  being  our  outpost,  and  trust  to  luck  to  get 
company  from  there.  I  therefore  mounted  my  horse 
13 


186  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  rode  to  that  point,  where  I  again  tried  to  get  a 
party  to  go  out  with  me  to  the*  battle-field,  which  was 
three  miles  distant  from  that  place.  But  I  was  assured 
that  it  would  be  unsafe  for  me  to  go  out  there  with  a 
small  party,  as  the  whole  country  thereabouts  was 
swarming  with  guerrillas. 

But  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  go,  and  go  I  did, 
against  the  remonstrances  of  all.  I  rode  out  there  with- 

o 

out  adventure,  and  when  I  reached  the  field,  I  dis 
mounted  and  unbuckled  my  sword  and  fastened '  my 
sword-belt  around  the  horn  of  my  saddle,  and  was  lead 
ing  my  horse  over  the  field  on  the  east  side  of  the  sod 
embankments,  looking  for  some  memorial  to  take  from 
the  battle-field.  As  I  stooped  to  pick  up  some  brooches 
from  a  Mexican  cap,  two  shots  were  fired  in  rapid  suc 
cession.  My  horse  sprang,  reared,  and  pulled  away  from 
me,  and  ran  like  a  frightened  deer  towards  San  Angelo, 
which,  by  the  way  I  passed  in  coming  to  Contreras, 
caused  him  to  perform  quite  a  circuit  ,in  following  the 
road  around  the  hill,  while  I  ran  straight  down  the  hill 
and  attempted  to  intercept  him.  When  about  half-way 
to  San  Angelo,  I  met  a  non-commissioned  officer  with 
twelve  men,  who  had  been  sent  out  to  look  for  my  body. 
They  were  leading  my  horse,  but  expected  that  if  they 
found  me,  they  would  find  me  dead.  The  sh  ts  were 
fired  from  quite  a  distance,  and  I  thought  no  more  of 
the  matter.  The  horse  in  running  had  thrown  out  one 
of  my  holster  pistols,  which,  of  course,  was  lost.  With 
that  exception,  all  was  right. 

When  I  reached  San  Angelo  I  treated  the  boys  at  the 
post  and  took  my  departure  for  the  city  by  the  way  of 
Tacuba,  which  place  I  had  passed  about  one  mile, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  187 

when  I  met  two  infantry  officers — a  major  and  captain. 
They  were  going  towards  Tacuba,  and  soon  afterward 
I  discovered  six  lanceros,  who  came  riding  at  a  break 
neck  speed.  I  at  once  drew  my  revolver  in  one  hand,  and 
my  remaining  holster  pistol  in  the  other.  I  put  my 
horse  at  the  top  of  his  speed  and  charged  through. 
They  opened  to  the  right  and  left  to  let  me  go.  I 
adopted  this  plan  because  I  did  not  know  whether  they 
were  friends  or  foes,  as  we  had  many  Mexican  lanceros 
in  our  service.  I  reached  the  city,  put  up  my  horse,  and 
entered  the  Bella  Union  Hotel;  had  taken  a  wash,  and 
walked  up  to  a  mirror  to  comb  my  hair,  when  I  noticed 
an  apparent  tear  or  jagged  hole  in  the  breast  of  my  new 
uniform,  with  white  cotton  padding  protruding,  and,  as 
I  was  turning  from  the  glass,  still  looking  at  my  uni 
form,  I  discovered  another  white  place  still,  down  under 
my  arm,  when  the  truth  flashed  through  my  mind  that 
one  of  the  two  bullets  fired  while  I  was  stooping  to  pick 
up  the  brooches,  had  passed  between  my  arm  and  body, 
penetrating  my  uniform,  and  my  horse  jumping  and 
pulling  away  from  me  at  the  same  time,  prevented  me 
from  noticing  the  concussion  or  jar  from  the  bullet. 

I  exhibited  the  rent  to  some  brother  officers,  and  told 
them  of  the  occurrence,  when  one  of  them  asked  me  if 
my  horse  was  not  struck,  causing  him  to  jump  and  run 
away  from  me  as  he  did.  I  said  I  had  not  examined 
him.  We  went  to  the  stable,  and  upon  examination  we 
found  that  a  bullet  had  passed  across  his  rump,  cutting 
about  half  the  thickness  of  the  ball,  making  an  ugly 
wound  about  four  inches  long.  While  we  were  yet  con 
versing,  a  courier  arrived  from  Tacuba,  stating  that  a 
band  of  guerrillas  had  murdered  a  major  and  captain, 


188  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

who  were  returning  from  the  city,  having  just  been  paid 
off.  I  then  congratulated  myself  upon  the  precaution  I 
had  adopted  when  charging  through  their  ranks  a  few 
minutes  before  the  murder. 

Major  Young  and  a  party  of  officers  being  about  to 
return  to  Puebla,  I  joined  the  party,  making  six  of  us, 
all  told.  We  set  out  on  a  return  trip,  and  about  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening  we  arrived  at  a  little  wayside  inn 
or  half-way  place,  in  the  foot-hills  of  the  Popocatepetl, 
at  or  near  the  entrance  of  the  pass  across  the  mountains 
by  way  of  Rio  Frio.  At  this  place  we  found  a  small 
number  of  Frians  and  others  in  a  state  of  great  excite 
ment.  On  inquiry,  we  learned  the  following  facts:  Lieu 
tenant  Marsden  and  wife,  with  an  escort  of  three 
mounted  men,  while  on  their  way  to  the  City  of  Mexico, 
and  within  half  a  mile  of  that  place,  were  assaulted; 
the  lieutenant  was  lassoed,  pulled  from  his  horse,  and 
dragged  to  death,  and  at  the  time  of  the  lassoing  a  volley 
was  fired  from  the  brush,  wounding  one  of  the  soldiers 
in  the  side  and  breaking  one  horse's  leg,  while  the  assail 
ants  rushed  in,  seized  the  lady's  horse  by  the  bridle,  and 
soon  disappeared  in  the  hills,  with  the  lady  a  prisoner. 
The  other  soldiers,  with  their  wounded  companion, 
reached  the  station,  and  the  party  returned  and  found 
the  body  of  the  lieutenant  partly  stripped  and  rifled  of 
all  valuables.  The  body  was  bruised  and  mutilated,  and 
in  a  horrible  condition. 

We  soon  determined  to  pursue  the  villains,  and  rescue 
the  lady  if  possible.  From  what  we  could  learn,  there 
were  not  more  than  a  dozen  of  them  at  most.  Our 
little  party  numbered  six,  and  the  two  troopers  swelled 
our  efficient  force  to  eight.  There  was  one  old  peon,  who 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  189 

informed  us  that  he  knew  the  location  of  one  guerrilla 
rendezvous;  that  it  was  at  an  old  hacienda  among  some 
spurs  of  the  mountains  about  seven  miles  distant;  and 
he  offered  his  services  as  guide.  By  half-past  seven  we 
were  all  in  the  saddle,  and  commenced  a  rapid  ride  over 
broken  ground,  where  spurs  of  the  mountains  were  pro 
jecting  into  the  valley,  sometimes  riding  through  an 
open  pine  wood,  sometimes  over  open  ground,  until  our 
guide  informed  us  that  we  were  close  to  the  place,  when 
we  dismounted  and  left  our  horses  in  charge  -of  one  of 
our  party.  The  rest  of  us  commenced  a  stealthy  march 
upon  the  old  adobe,  which  stood  upon  the  bank  of  a 
small  mountain  stream. 

We  gained  the  rear  of  the  building  and  discovered  a 
large  orange  orchard  at  our  left.  Coming  up  close  to 
the  house,  there  was  light  proceeding  from  a  broken 
window.  We  ventured  a  short  distance  from  the  win 
dow,  and  after  a  hasty  consultation,  we  cocked  our  car 
bines,  and  five  of  us  were  to  approach  the  window,  that 
being  as  many  as  could  do  execution  through  the  nar 
row  casement,  and  that  only  by  firing  over  each  other's 
shoulders,  while  two  gained  the  front,  where  we  expected 
them  to  fly  to  make  their  escape.  When  all  was  ready, 
the  signal  was  given,  and  we  simultaneously  discharged 
our  five  carbines  in  their  midst.  At  that  instant  a  ter 
rific  scream  was  heard  inside.  It  was  by  a  woman.  As 
we  had  anticipated,  there  was  a  rush  for  the  front  door, 
where  we  heard  two  more  shots  in  rapid  succession. 
We  sprang  to  the  front,  saber  in  hand;  but  the  guerrillas 
were  tearing  through  the  orchard  like  frightened  deer. 
Upon  entering  the  house,  our  passage  was  obstructed  by 
a  dead  "greaser"  in  the  doorway.  On  entering,  we 


190  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

found  three  on  the  floor,  two  in  the  last  agonies  of  death, 
and  the  other  wounded  in  the  chest,  undoubtedly  fatally. 
We  next  looked  for  the  woman,  whom  we  found  in  an 
adjoining  room,  seated  upon  a  stool  and  tied  hand  and 
foot.  We  released  her,  and,  on  searching,  found  her 
horse,  where  there  were  several  other  horses.  We  sad 
dled  her  horse  and  also  one  for  the  prisoner,  and  were 
soon  ready  for  our  return  march.  Some  suggested  that 
we  should  burn  the  house;  but  this  I  opposed,  as  the 
probable  owner  of  it  was  doubtless  not  a  party  to  the 
transaction  or  had  any  knowledge  of  its  perpetration. 
We  left  the  three  dead  Mexicans  where  they  were  lying, 
mounted  our  horses,  and  were  soon  on  the  trail  home 
ward.  We  [iad  ridden  about  a  mile  on  our  homeward 
route,  when  a  shot  was  fired  in  the  rear  of  our  little 
command.  The  two  troopers  who  had  charge  of  the 
wounded  Mexican  came  riding  up,  and  said  the  prisoner 
had  escaped.  We  readily  understood  how  the  escape 
was  made,  and  that  probably  a  bullet  through  his  brain 
had  aided  him  on  his  way. 

The  next  morning,  after  giving  the  remains  of  Mars- 
den  as  decent  a  burial  as  the  condition  of  things  would 
admit,  we  took  our  departure  and  were  again  on  our 
way  to  Puebla.  After  consultation  with  Mrs.  Marsden, 
we  took  her  under  our  charge,  and  with  us  she  returned 
to  Rio  Frio,  where  she  had  some  acquaintances  in  the 
command  stationed  at  that  place.  We  saw  her  safely 
in  charge  of  her  friends,  when  we  again  pursued  our 
journey  without  further  adventure,  till  within  a  few  miles 
of  Puebla. 

It  was  dark  and  we  were  hastening  on  to  reach  the 
city  that  night,  when,  in  the  distance,  we  heard  what  we 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  191 

thought  to  be  the  rattle  of  musketry  in  the  city.  We 
could  hear  it  clearly  and  distinctly.  We  hurried  up, 
believing  that  there  was  a  general  engagement,  and  each 
was  cudgeling  his  brain  to  know  how  he  should  find  his 
respective  command;  and  more  than  once  I  had  ex 
claimed,  in  my  anxiety,  "What  the  d — 1  has  become 
of  the  artillery?"  We  dashed,  along  at  a  rapid  rate, 
and  entered  the  city.  The  firing  seeming  to  be  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  city,  near  the  plaza;  we  rode  as  near  as 
we  dared,  and  then  commenced  a  reconnoisance  to  learn 
which  were  the  American  forces  and  which  the  Mexi 
can,  when,  in  a  short  time,  to  our  entire  disgust,  we 
learned  that  the  men  had  secured  a  great  quantity  of 
those  large  Mexican  fire-crackers,  the  report  of  which 
was  about  equal  to  that  of  a  musket,  and  two  regiments 
had  pitched  into  each  other  in  good  earnest  with  the  fire 
crackers;  "  this,  and  nothing  more." 


CHAPTER    XX. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE    MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

OUR  command  had  now  their  regular  station  at 
Puebla,  placed  there  as  a  portion  of  the  defense  of 
that  city.  This  is  a  most  lovely  place,  situated  as  it  is 
upon  the  high  table-lands  about  six  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  ocean,  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  plain,  with 
brooks  and  rivulets  of  pure  water  running  through  it,  and 
surrounded  by  snow-capped  mountains.  To  the  west  is 
Mount  Popocatepetl  and  the  White  Lady,  on  the  same 
range.  To  the  southeast  is  the  Orizaba,  with  its  spire- 
peak,  already  mentioned.  In  this  same  valley  are  situated 


192  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

the  ancient  city  and  pyramids  of  Cholula.  There  are 
also  beautiful  mineral  springs  between  the  city  and  that 
place,  sending  a  flood  of  sulphur  and  other  mineral 
waters  through  the  valley,  a  portion  of  which  is  brought 
to  Puebla,  by  way  of  aqueducts  and  canals,  where  it  is 
used  for  bathing  purposes. 

I  have*  seen,  in  the  city  of  Puebla,  a  most  beautiful 
picture  of  the  founding  of  that  town  by  the  angels,  some 
with  their  tape-lines  measuring  off  the  ground,  and 
showing  a  lovely  stream  running  through  its  site,  while 
four  other  angels  are  descending  Trom  heaven  and  bear 
ing  to  earth  the  cathedral  of  Puebla,  one  at  each  corner 
of  the  immense  edifice.  It  is  firmly  believed  by  the 
ignorant  Mexicans  that  the  cathedral  was  erected  in  a 
single  night  by  the  angels,  and  a  contradiction  on  that 
subject  renders  them  very  hostile,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  it  took  more  than  fifty  years  to  complete  the 
structure,  while  the  "  northern  barbarians "  would  have 
completed  the  work  in  five  or  six  years.  I  was  told  by 
parties  who  pretended  to  know,  that  the  entire  cost  of 
the  edifice  was  something  over  sixteen  million  dollars. 

There  were,  at  the  time  I  sojourned  there,  about  80,- 
ooo  inhabitants  in  the  city,  and  a  prettier,  cleaner  city  I 
never  saw,  containing  every  evidence  of  wealth  and 
luxury.  The  buildings  and  architecture  compared 
favorably  with  those  of  the  City  of  Mexico;  but  not 
withstanding  its  wealth  and  beauty,  over  two-thirds  of 
the  whole  wealth  in  buildings  and  lands  is  owned  by 
the  churches,  of  which,  I  believe,  there  were  eighty-seven; 
in  fact,  it  is  the  great  city  of  churches.  I  do  not  believe 
there  was  ever  three  minutes,  day  or  night,  in  which  you 
could  not  hear  the  ringing  of  bells.  In  Puebla  the 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  193 

churches  are  not  confined  to  a  single  bell;  but  the  most 
of  them  are  furnished  with  from  three  to  a  dozen,  and 
the  cathedral  contains  twenty-four,  the  largest  of  which 
is  over  twelve  feet  across  the  chime,  and  can  only  be 
rung  by  means  of  a  windlass  attached  to  the  clapper. 
But  among  the  bells,  there  was  one  that  was  more  effi 
cient  than  all  the  rest,  that  would  knock  every  Mexican 
flat  to  the  earth,  as  far  as  its  sound  could  be  heard;  this 
was  the  bishop's  bell.  I  have  seen  some  of  the  more 
devout  drop  upon  the  street  and  absolutely  lick  the 
pavement.  Puebla,  next  to  Cholula,  is  the  cradle  of  the 
church.  Our  command  was  quartered  in  the  convent  of 
St.  Augustus,  and  I  here,  as  at  the  City  of  Mexico,  be 
came  quite  a  favorite  with  the  padres  by  reason  of  my 
moderation,  demanding  no  more  room  for  the  men  than 
was  necessary.  There  were  a  great  many  nuns  and  a 
great  many  children  in  this  institution.  The  children 
were  foundlings,  of  course. 

We  had  been  stationed  but  a  short  time  in  this  con 
vent,  when  one  day  I  felt  a  severe  pain  in  my  throat, 
the  glands  about  my  neck  becoming  very  much  in 
flamed,  and  I  made  complaint  to  our  surgeon,  Dr.  W.  B. 
Whitesides,  who  was  my  bosom  friend  and  who  had 
saved  me  once  at  Tampico.  I  told  him  I  was  suffering 
very  much,  and  if  it  was  popular  to  die  of  sore  throat,  I 
believed  that  it  would  kill  me.  The  doctor  did  not 
seem  to  know  anything  about  the  disease.  My  throat 
continued  to  swell  until  it  and  my  chin  were  even,  and  I 
kept  scolding  about  it  and  rubbing  it  with  opodeldoc 
and  other  powerful  liniments  that  I  found  among  the 
doctor's  medicines.  At  length  it  became  so  swollen 
that  I  could  scarcely  breathe  at  all.  Night  came  on  and 


194  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

I  got  a  big  hop  poultice  and  wrapped  it  around  my 
throat  and  went  to  my  cot.  I  gradually  became  easier 
and  dropped  off  into  a  sleep,  and  when  I  awoke  the 
next  morning  I  was  much  better.  But  before  the  next 
morning  there  were  three  dead  officers  laid  out  in  my 
quarters  from  the  same  disease. 

There  were  few  attractions  in  the  city  for  wild,  advent 
urous  spirits;  but  there  was  one  never-failing  source  of 
enjoyment,  and  that  was  the  Passo,  or  species  of  plaza. 
There  were  beautiful  walks,  choice  shrubbery,  fragrant 
flowers,  and  bright,  sparkling  fountains.  One  evening, 
as  Lieutenant  Poleon  and  myself  were  walking  in  the 
Passo,  we  discovered  two  men  in  what  appeared  to  be  a 
deadly  combat,  one  being  armed  with  a  saber,  the  other 
with  a  heavy  knife,  resembling,  in  breadth  and  weight, 
a  butcher's  cleaver.  We  stepped  up  each  behind  one  of 
the  combatants  and  pulled  them  asunder,  and  arrested 
both  of  them.  They  yielded  to  the  arrest  and  we 
marched  them  into  quarters  and  placed  them  under 
guard.  The  one  with  the  saber  turned  out  to  be  a 
member  of  the  Mexican  police  force;  the  other  a  noted 
cut-throat.  The  policeman  died  at  the  end  of  two  da^s, 
and  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  other  hanged. 

The  monotony  of  the  city  finally  became  unendurable, 
and  one  fine  morning  in  the  month  of  April,  I  rode  out 
of  town,  resolved  upon  an  adventure  of  some  kind.  I 
went  out  of  the  city  on  a  well-traveled  road,  not  know 
ing  to  what  point  it  led.  In  fact  I  never  thought  of 
making  an  inquiry;  but  it  led  through  a  lovely  plain, 
well-settled,  with  large  and  handsome  houses  and  well- 
cultivated  fields,  bearing  orange  groves,  bananas,  plant 
ains,  alfalfa,  and  waving  grain,  while  here  and  there 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  195 

were  bright  sparkling  brooks,  wending  their  way  over  a 
pebbly  bed  to  the  river  in  the  distance.  In  a  word,  it 
presented  a  prospect  that  the  lover  of  the  beautiful 
would  treasure  in  mind. 

I  continued  my  ride  to  a  distance  of  at  least  sixteen 
or  eighteen  miles,  seeing  nothing  but  peons  and  laborers 
of  different  grades;  but  presently,  in  the  distance,  and 
at  the  edge  of  a  grove,  I  noticed  what  first  seemed  to  be 
a  low  grove  of  small  bushes,  with  a  most  singular  foliage; 
I  continued  to  ride  in  that  direction,  and  the  nearer  I 
approached,  the  more  singular  the  appearance.  But  in 
a  few  minutes  the  mystery  was  solved;  it  was  a  group  of 
lances  stuck  in  the  ground  with  their  streamers  waving 
in  the  breeze;  and  I  had  no  sooner  discovered  the  char 
acter  of  the  object  of  my  curiosity  than  the  lanceros  had 
discovered  and  made  me  out.  While  I  sat  on  my  horse 
watching  them,  the  group  of  lances  were  hurriedly  pulled 
up  from  the  earth  and  in  the  hands  of  Mexican  warriors; 
and,  each  mounting  a  mustang,  disclos  d  the  fact  that  a 
regiment  of  lanceros  had  been  luxuriating  in  the  shade 
of  the  grove,  their  horses  secreted  in  the  grove,  and  all 
taking  a  rest.  As  soon  as  they  were  mounted,  they 
made  a  furious  dash  across  the  field  for  the  highway, 
where  I  sat  upon  my  horse  looking  at  them  as  they 
advanced.  I  would  have  told  them,  if  I  had  had  an 
opportunity,  that  they  need  not  hurry  so  on  my  account. 
They  must  have  held  me  in  high  respect;  for  when  I 
drew  my  saber  and  waved  them  a  salute,  they  returned 
it  by  the  discharge  of  a  hundred  escopets.  I  did  not 
wait  for  further  compliments,  but  concluded  I  would  go 
back  home.  I  was  mounted  on  my  favorite  horse, 
which  was  fleet  as  the  wind;  and  although  they  were 


196  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

traveling  after  me  at  a  rapid  rate,  old  Selim  soon  in 
creased  the  distance  between  them  and  me. 

As  soon  as  I  was  entirely  safe  from  their  careless 
shooting,  on  coming  to  a  little  eminence,  I  wheeled  my 
horse  and  again  waved  my  saber  at  them,  when  they 
made  another  vigorous  dash  for  me,  when  I  retreated 
again  in  good  order.  I  thus  amused  myself  beckoning 
them  on  to  follow  me  for  several  miles,  until  passing  a 
hacienda,  where  I  saw  two  men  rushing  out,  each  having 
an  escopet  in  hand  to  cut  off  my  retreat,  when  I  put 
my  horse  on  a  dead  run,  dropped  my  rein  upon  his 
neck,  and  as  I  passed  them  discharged  my  two  pistols 
at  them,  while  at  the  same  moment  they  fired  at  me; 
but  as  far  as  I  could  see,  this  new  danger  rather  accel 
erated  my  speed.  I  soon  increased  the  distance  between 
us,  and  continued  to  hold  it  until  within  about  three 
miles  of  the  city,  when  they  gave  up  the  chase.  I  then 
rode  back  a  short  distance  toward  them  and  beckoned 
them  on,  but  could  not  induce  them  to  follow  me  further, 
when  I  rode  slowly  into  town,  feeling  well  satisfied  with 
my  day's  adventure. 

About  this  time  Lieutenant  Conkling  and  myself  were 
taken  down  with  Mexican  rheumatism.  It  is  one  of 
those  diseases  that  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  the  highlands 
and  table-lands  of  Mexico,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most 
terrible  and  painful  diseases  that  ever  afflicted  humanity. 
There  are  hundreds  of  men  in  Puebla  whose  limbs  are 
drawn  into  all  conceivable  shapes.  I  have  seen  some 
poor  creatures  stalking  through  the  streets  with  their 
shoulders  drawn  down  at  right  angles  with  their  legs; 
others  crawling  along  the  streets  upon  all  fours.  I  suf 
fered  in  every  limb  and  joint  the  most  excruciating 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  197 

agony;  and  this  continued,  day  and  night,  for  several 
weeks.  The  doctors  could  give  me  no  relief.  It  was 
entirely  new  to  our  surgeons,  and  beyond  their  control. 
Conkling  would  lie  in  his  hammock  and  exclaim,  "  Oh 
God!  Norton;  what  shall  I  do?"  I,  on  the  other  side, 
"Oh  God!  Conkling;  what  shall  I  do?"  At  last  we 
called  in  the  padres  to  our  aid,  as  they  professed  medi 
cal  skill.  They  prepared  a  strong  ointment  and  anointed 
us  from  head  to  foot.  I  don't  know  what  effect  it  may 
have  had  on  our  souls,  but  this  I  do  know,  it  did 
not  help  our  bodies  in  the  least. 

We  became  cross,  irritable,  and  reckless.  I  recollect 
that  it  was  a  little  cool,  and  I  sent  my  servant  out  to  get 
a  pottery  charcoal  furnace  to  warm  the  room.  My  man 
got  it  up,  kindled  and  ready  for  a  warming  process;  but 
it  did  not  work  to  suit  friend  Conkling.  He  picked  it 
up,  walked  to  the  balcony  and  threw  it  down  on  the 
sidewalk,  to  the  infinite  amusement  of  a  crowd  of  beg 
garly  peons,  and  sent  his  servant  out  for  another.  He 
brought  it  in,  and  started  the  fire,  when  I  deliberately 
picked  it  up  and  dashed  it  from  the  balcony  to  the  street 
and  immediately  sent  for  another,  which  was  brought, 
but  shared  the  same  fate  as  the  first  and  second.  We 
amused  ourselve.s  and  the  street  Arabs  in  this  way  for 
a  couple  of  hours,  until  we  had  smashed  up  some  twelve 
or  fifteen,  when  that  sport  became  monotonous  (the  fur 
naces  only  cost  about  eight  cents  apiece)  and  we  com 
menced  throwing  them  clacos  (copper  cents)  to  see  them 
rush  and  pile  up  to  get  them,  until  we  began  to  think 
the  street  Arabs  were  getting  more  fun  out  of  it  than 
we  were.  The  crowd  increased  until  it  became  a  perfect 
throng,  men,  women,  and  children  all  piling  into  one 
heap,  when  a  general  scramble  would  ensue. 


198  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

We  next  began  to  heat  the  clacos.  We  would  make 
them  red  hot,  and  then  throw  them  to  the  sidewalk, 
and  it  was  rare  sport  to  see  them  grab  them  and  then 
drop  them,  until  at  length  they  hit  upon  an  expedient- 
They  would  pick  them  up  with  the  corners  of  their  blan 
kets  in  their  hands,  this  preventing  them  from  burning 
themselves.  We  ran  this  for  some  time,  until  it  began 
to  be  stale,  when  we  got  another  crotchet  in  our  heads. 
We  heated  a  shovelful  of  clacos,  and  dropped  them 
down  from  the  balcony,  and  when  the  general  rush  was 
made,  we  emptied  a  pailful  of  flour  over  them.  By 
this  time  the  street  was  blockaded  for  several  rods  by  all 
classes  of  the  community,  all  seeming  to  enjoy  the  joke. 
They  would  look  up  at  us  and  call  out  "mas  clacos." 
We  proceeded  to  heat  another  shovelful  and  prepared  a 
pail  of  flour  and  a  pail  of  water;  and  first  we  threw  the 
clacos,  secondly  the  flour,  and  closely  following  it  a  pail 
of  water,  and  when  we  got  through  I  think  they  were 
the  worst-looking  set  of  devils  I  ever  saw.  Our  suffer 
ings  did  not  in  the  least  diminish,  and  we  racked  our 
brains  for  new  diversion  to  kill  time  and  drown  pain. 

One  afternoon  I  was  suffering  outrageously,  and  I  felt 
discouraged  and  desperate.  I  dressed  myself  in  full 
uniform,  ordered  my  horse  (old  Selim),  and  rode  out  of 
the  city  alone  (I  never  did  take  my  servant,  as  I  would 
not  subject  any  one  else  to  the  risks  I  ran  in  those  wild 
rides).  I  took  the  road  forCholula,  without  any  definite 
idea  how  far  I  would  ride,  or  where  I  would  eventually 
bring  up.  When  some  five  or  -six  miles  from  the  city, 
I  began  to  meet  peons,  packing  large  sacks  of  wood  on 
their  backs,  going  to  Puebla.  They  viewed  me  with 
perfect  amazement,  and  one  of  them  exclaimed,  "  Donde 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  199 

va  V.  Senor?  "  I  replied,  "  Almost  anywhere."  They  in 
formed  me  in  their  lingo  that  there  were  many  cut-throats 
and  robbers,  and  that  unless  I  returned,  I  would  be  killed. 
But,  as  I  saw  nothing  alarming,  I  continued  on  my 
course,  passing  en  route  many  ranches  and  haciendas,  un 
til  the  pyramid  of  Cholula  broke  upon  my  vision.  As  I 
neared  the  place,  it  loomed  up  like  some  small  mountain, 
and  anything  but  the  pyramid  of  Cholula  pictured  in  my 
old  school  geography.  But  the  nearer  I  approached  it, 
the  more  regular  seemed  the  formation,  and  what  I  at 
first  took  to  be  cavities  and  an  irregular  surface,  proved 
to  be  the  spiral  drive  that  winds  to  the  top.  The  road 
leading  from  Puebla  to  the  ancient  city  of  Cholula 
passes  to  the  north  of  the  pyramid,  and,  as  it  were, 
through  a  small  gap  in  a  ridge  that  runs  north  from  it, 
which  it  was  evident  to  me  had  some  day  been  a  por 
tion  of  the  pyramid,  and  that  it  had  fallen  and  stretched 
its  length  on  the  plain.  But  more  of  this  in  the  future. 
I  could  not  with  any  safety  dismount;  consequently  I 
did  not  try  to  examine  the  pyramid,  but  rode  straight 
on  to  the  city,  which,  like  Puebla,  is  situated  on  a  vast 
plain;  in  fact,  the  country  is  one  immense  plain  from  the 
base  of  the  Popocatepetl  Mountains  to  the  foot-hills  of 
the  Orizaba  Mountains.  I  rode  straight  down  the  main 
street  of  the  dilapidated  city  until  I  reached  the  plaza, 
which  lay  on  the  north  side  of  the  street.  When  at 
that  point,  I  drew  rein  on  my  favorite  and  took  a  survey 
of  the  place.  The  sun  w^ts  just  sinking  behind  the  crest 
of  the  Popocatepetl  Mountains  at  the  time.  The  Mex 
icans  who  watched  my  advent  into  the  town  seemed 
staring  more  in  the  direction  I  had  come  than  at  me, 
when  a  series  of  howls  and  whistles  reached  me  from 
the  populace  I  soon  discovered  what  it  meant.  They 


200  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

at  first  were  looking  to  see  where  my  companions  or 
escorts  were;  and  seeing  none,  then  for  the  rush  and 
capture,  or  the  death  of  me.  I  quietly  watched  the  ex 
citement  for  a  few  moments,  when  I  drew  my  saber, 
whirled  it  a  few  times  over  my  head,  in  the  last  rays  of 
the  setting  sun,  released  old  Selim,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
the  city  and  its  excitement  were  far  in  the  distance,  and 
in  less  than  two  hours  I  was  safely  in  my  quarters,  with 
out  further  adventure. 

When  I  asserted  that  I  had  visited  the  city  of  Cholula 
alone,  my  statement  was  far  from  being  credited  by  my 
fellow-officers  who  had  visited  it  in  company  with  a 
strong  expedition  organized  for  that  purpose.  But  I  soon 
convinced  them  of  the  truth  of  my  statement  by  mi 
nutely  describing  the  road  by  streams,  hills,  and  bridges, 
the  location  of  the  pyramid,  and  more  than  all,  the  plaza 
and  some  burned  buildings  on  the  north  side  of  it,  when 
they  with  one  accord  said,  "  He  must  have  been  there." 
Conkling,  who  lay  upon  his  cot  groaning,  exclaimed, 
"  Yes,  if  he  says  he  has  been  there,  you  may  depend 
upon  it,  as  the  d — d  fool  goes  everywhere  safely,  when 
one  of  us  would  get  his  throat  cut." 

A  surprise  met  me  on  my  arrival  at  quarters,  that  was 
very  pleasant  in  some  respects  and  mortifying  in  others. 
The  officer  said  that  a  young  man  had  called  to  see  me 
who  seemed  to  have  some  important  business  with  me, 
and  said  that  he  would  be  back  in  a  short  time.  I  was 
not  kept  in  suspense  long,  for  the  visitor  was  presently 
announced,  and  to  my  astonishment  my  youngest 
brother,  John,  whom  I  had  left  at  home  in  charge  of 
affairs,  seized  me  by  the  hand,  the  tears  rushing  to  his 
eyes  as  he  did  so.  The  story  was  soon  told.  The  old 
abolition  party,  who  opposed  the  war,  and  threw  all  pos- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  201 

sible  obstacles  in  the  way  to  prevent  parties  from  volun 
teering  and  to  oppress  those  who  had  volunteered,  had 
got  up  a  scheme  against  me  that  frightened  my  people 
at  home,  and  John  had  set  out  at  once  to  seek  me  and 
communicate  the  facts.  I  knew  that  the  whole  thing 
amounted  to  nothing,  and  cast  it  at  once  from  my  mind. 
But  my  brother  had  been  hired  by  the  Government  as  a 
teamster  to  go  through  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  was 
under  charge  of  the  quartermaster,  conducting  the  train. 
They  were  to  continue  their  march  the  next  morning, 
and  poor  -brother  John  thought  that  he  was  to  be  sepa 
rated  from  me  immediately.  I  accompanied  him  to  their 
camp,  sought  out  the  quartermaster,  and  told  him  that  I 
wanted  that  teamster  and  would  furnish  him  another  to 
drive  in  his  place.  The  exchange  was  made,  and  I  took 
my  brother  under  my  immediate  charge  and  kept  him 
with  me  to  the  close  of  the  war. 

Our  Mexican  rheumatism  still  continued  to  afflict  us. 
But  there  was  residing  in  Puebla  an  artisan  who  worked 
gilt  ornaments,  and  whom  I  had  served  by  filling  a 
commission  entrusted  to  me  on  my  trip  to  the  City  of 
Mexico,  and  who  had  through  me  become  acquainted 
with  several  of  our  officers,  after  which  he  often  visited 
our  quarters.  On  being  informed  of  our  condition,  he 
called  on  me  and  said  if  I  would  furnish  the  cost  of  the 
medicine  he  would  provide  a  remedy  that  would  cure  us. 
I  did  not  have  much  confidence  in  it,  but  in  our  extrem 
ity  we  were  prepared  to  try  almost  anything.  He 
bought  the  medicine;  it  was  a  transparent  liquid  and 
very  penetrating,  and  was  almost  strong  enough  to  blis 
ter.  In  this  we  both  bathed  our  limbs,  and  the  result 
was  that. in  less  than  ten  days  we  were  entirely  cured  of 
the  dreadful  scourge. 


202  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE   MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

IN  Mexico,  the  ideas  of  family  residences  are  unlike 
our  own  notions.  We  prefer  living  on  the  ground 
floor  of  our  residences;  they  like  to  live  as  high  up 
as  they  can  get.  My  quarters  in  Puebla  were  in  the 
third  story  of  an  extensive  building,  with  stairs  lead 
ing  to  the  roof.  I  could  not  utilize  one-half  of  the  vast 
structure,  so  I  assigned  quite  a  large  portion  of  it  to 
officers  of  our  regiment.  There  are,  as  a  general  thing} 
ornamental  balconies  at  each  story  of  the  buildings;  and 
that  was  the  case  with  our  quarters.  Immediately 
across  the  street  from  us  lived  an  aristocratic  Castilian, 
whose  name  I  learned  was  Queretaro.  He  was  Pres 
ident  of  the  Mexican  Senate,  and  was  absent  on  his 
official  business.  We  formed  a  kind  of  eye  acquaintance 
with  the  family  from  the  opposite  balconies,  and  in  a 
short  time  I  was  honored  with  a  visit  by  a  boy  about 
fourteen  years  old.  He  informed  me  that  his  name  was 
Edwardo  Queretaro,  and  the  son  of  the  gentleman  who 
lived  across  the  way.  He  had  picked  up  a  very  few 
words  of  English,  and  with  my  few  words  of  Spanish, 
we  managed  to  understand  each  other  very  well.  He 
was  delighted  with  our  military  trappings,  such  as  sabers, 
sashes,  epaulets,  and  many  other  things  which  were  new 
and  strange  to  him;  and,  in  return.  I  was  much  pleased 
with  young  Edwardo.  He  was  very  expert  with  the 
lasso,  and  we  amused  ourselves  hours  at  a  time  by  his 
throwing  the  lasso  and  my  attempting  to  guard  against 
it  with  my  saber;  but  I  must  say  I  found  it  impossible 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  203 

to  parry  and  protect  myself  against  his  skill.  He  would 
sometimes  catch  me  around  my  neck,  and  if  I  happened 
to  step,  perhaps  he  would  catch  me  by  the  foot;  and., 
when  all  other  parts  were  guarded,  he  would  frequently 
catch  me  by  the  sword  arm. 

Things  continued  in  this  way  about  three  weeks,  only 
Edwardo  became  so  attached  to  me  that  he  was  with  me 
two-thirds  of  the  time.  At  length  he  became  very  solic 
itous  that  I  should  visit  him.  I  assured  him  that  I 
could  not  on  his  invitation,  as  I  was  an  entire  stranger 
to  his  family ;  but  before  this  time  he  had  told  me  the 
family  at  home  was  composed  of  his  mother,  a  sister 
nine  years  old,  and  his  Aunt  Amelia,  who  was  twenty 
years  old.  In  three  or  four  days  after  this,  Edwardo 
told  me  his  aunt  wished  me  to  visit  them.  I  told  him 
if  I  visited  their  house  the  invitation  must  come  from 
his  mother.  The  next  day  he  informed  me  that  his 
mother  wished  me  to  visit  them.  Consequently  I  re 
solved  to  do  so,  as  I  could  not  doubt  that  they  were 
ladies  and  moved  in  the  best  society.  I  took  my  inter 
preter  and  went  over,  and  was  introduced  by  the  boy  to 
his  mother  and  aunt,  as  his  friend.  I  remained  an  hour 
and  was  delighted  with  the  ladies;  but  it  was  hard  to  tell 
who  were  the  most  disgusted  with  my  interpreter,  the 
ladies  or  myself.  He  all  the  time  indulged  in  a  twad 
dle  about  himself,  and  failed  to  interpret  one-half  of 
what  we  wished  to  say  to  each  other.  When  the  time 
came  for  leave-taking,  they  warmly  insisted  on  my  com 
ing  again,  and  in  these  words,  that  the  house  was  mine. 
In  return,  I  assured  them  that  I  would  avail  myself  of 
their  kind  invitation,  and  that  I  should  bring  no  inter 
preter,  but  that  they  should  all  act  as  my  interpreter. 


204  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

In  the  first  interview  they  asked  me  if  I  was  married, 
and  I  assured  them  that  I  was.  But  the  next  day  Ed- 
wardo  asked  the  same  question  of  Lieutenant  Conkling, 
and  of  other  officers;  they,  supposing  that  they  were 
playing  into  my  hand,  assured  him  that  I  was  not  mar 
ried,  and  was  only  joking  with  them  when  I  pretended 
to  be  married.  So  when  I  called  again,  several  days 
afterwards,  I  was  warmly  received  by  the  whole  family, 
and  more  especially  so  by  Miss  Amelia,  who  took  upon 
herself  the  task  of  teaching  me  to  speak  their  language, 
and  no  one  ever  had  a  more  zealous  teacher.  I  would 
frequently  get  off  some  Mexican  phrases,  when  she 
would  check  me  and  say.  "  Este  no  "bussna;  este  lingua 
lotros  indur  Time  rolled  on,  and  somehow  when  not 
on  duty  I  found  myself  with  my  friends  most  of  the 
time.  I  was  not  slow  to  learn  that  my  little  Amelia  was 
becoming  very  fond  of  me,  and,  in  fact,  too  fond  for  her 
own  peace  of  mind.  I  often  said  to  her,  "You  must 
not  be  too  fond  of  me,  for  I  have  a  wife  at  home."  She 
only  laughed  at  me,  and  said  that  she  had  caught  me  at 
my  trick;  that  I  was  not  married;  for  all  the  officers  said 
so;  that  I  was  only  fooling  her.  I  found  it  impossible 
to  convince  the  poor  girl  against  her  will;  therefore  things 
went  along  in  their  own  way. 

Amelia  was  very  pretty.  She  was  of  medium  height, 
well  formed,  with  a  light  and  elastic  step.  In  complex 
ion  she  was  a  blonde,  with  a  full,  deep,  blue  eye,  and  as 
fair  as  a  lily;  but  I  do  not  pretend  to  dwell  on  her  per 
fection,  further  than  to  distinguish  her  from  the  "greaser  " 
horde.  I  had  introduced  her  to  a  few  superior  officers, 
and  it  was  amusing  to  me  to  hear  Amelia's  perfections 
set  forth  by  them.  The  Spanish  are  a  very  jealous 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  205 

race,  and  she  seemed  to  think  I  would  be  of  the  same 
organization;  for  she  would  pass  the  open  window  or 
step  to  the  blinds  every  minute  during  their  call,  for  fear 
I  might  be  jealous  of  her.  During  our  acquaintance  I 
fell  ill.  When  they  heard  the  fact  they  sent  Edwardo 
over  to  my  quarters  and  insisted  that  I  should  come  to 
their  house,  where  I  could  have  better  attention  than  I 
could  at  my  own  quarters.  I  finally  complied  with  their 
wishes,  and  was  with  them  for  over  three  weeks,  and 
though  Amelia  was  waited  upon  by  her  own  servants, 
she  would  not  allow  a  servant  to  wait  upon  me.  Every 
thing  that  I  needed  came  from  her  own  hand. 

As  I  convalesced,  one  morning  I  took  a  walk  in  the 
Passo,  and  had  a  little  chat  with  an  early  walker  who,  as 
well  as  myself,  was  out  to  take  the  air.  She  was  a  young 
Mexican  girl  of  the  better  class.  She  arranged  a  button 
hole  bouquet  and  pinned  it  on  the  breast  of  my  uniform. 
On  my  return  I  met  Amelia,  and  as  soon  as  she  saw  the 
flowers  her  eyes  flashed  with  fury.  She  sprang  to  my 
breast  like  a  tigress,  seized  the  flowers,  dashed  tr^em  on 
the  floor,  stamped  them  beneath  her  little  feet,  and  ex 
claimed  in  her  own  language,  "You  have  no  love  for 
me."  She  seized  her  diamond-handled  stiletto,  passed 
it  to  me,  and  exclaimed,  "  Here;  kill  me;  I  have  nothing 
to  live  for."  I  finally  got  her  quieted  down,  and  asked 
her  what  she  meant;  that  I  was  not  conscious  of  having 
done  anything  to  offend  her  or  any  injustice  to  her. 
She  said  that  a  woman  had  placed  those  flowers  on  my 
breast.  I  admitted  it,  but  assured  her  that  I  gave  the 
matter  no  consideration,  and  did  not  know  that  it  meant 
anything  more  than  a  little  coquetry.  But  I  then,  for 
the  first  time,  learned  that  the  Spanish  language  of 
flowers  is  more  read  and  better  understood  than  ours. 


206  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

After  I  had  quite  recovered  my  health,  and  was  about 
to  return  to  my  own  quarters,  I  told  her  that  they  had 
been  at  a  large  outlay  for  me,  and  I  wished  to  compen 
sate  them  for  my  trouble  and  expense  while  there. 
Amelia  treated  my  offer  with  contempt  and  scorn  at 
first,  but  soon  changed  to  a  flood  of  tears  and  assured 
me  that  money  was  the  least  of  her  care;  that  she  had 
plenty  of  money;  she  threw  me  her  keys,  saying,  "  Here 
are  the  keys  of  my  coffer,  if  you  want  money,  help 
yourself;  I  do  not  want  yours;  I  did  not  take  care  of 
you  for  money."  She  was  an  heiress;  she  and  her 
brother  owned  three  large  haciendas,  and  one  fine  day 
she  asked  me  to  visit  one  of  them  with  her.  I  entered 
one  of  their  clumsy  carriages,  and  we  drove  out  there. 
I  was  amused  and  yet  perplexed  at  her,  for  all  that  was 
to  be  seen  or  enjoyed  was  us  and  ours.  The  place  was 
a  lovely  one;  the  buildings  were  magnificent,  situated 
upon  a  lovely  plateau  of  about  one  thousand  acres. 
They  were  of  adobe,  containing  an  inner  court  with  plats 
of  grass  and  fountains  inside.  The  whole  was  inclosed 
with  a  high  adobe  wall,  with  broken  glass  cemented  in 
the  top,  which  all  the  way  around  inclosed  the  premises. 
This  was  for  protection  against  the  assaults  of  lad  rones 
and  guerrillas.  It  was  just  the  place  where  a  man,  with 
that  beautiful  creature,  might  content  himself  to  while 
away  a  life-time.  She  wished  me  to  visit  her  other  two 
haciendas;  but  I  never  went  out  to  see  them.  The  whole 
family  were  go'od  and  kind  people  to  me,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  the  order  came  for  us  to  take  up 
our  line  of  inarch,  I  hardly  knew  how  to  break  the  news 
to  Amelia;  for  the  four  months  of  our  acquaintance 
seemed  to  her,  so  she  told  me,  to  be  as  one  bright  vision. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  207 

But  alas  !  the  parting  had  to  come.  I  left  my  Amelia 
in  her  sister-in-law's  arms,  in  a  swoon,  and  have  never 
seen  nor  heard  of  her  from  that  day  to  this.  But  think 
not  that  I  left  her  without  a  pang  of  remorse,  not  for  any 
perfidy  on  my  part,  for  I  never  deceived  her,  but  my 
principal  regret  was  that  she  loved  me  so  fondly. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

MEMOIRS   OF   THE    MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

DURING  the  time  I  was  stationed  at  Puebla  we  had 
had  little  active  service  more  than  scouting  and 
keeping  that  place  and  the  surrounding  country  in  sub 
jection.  Many  of  the  officers  who  had  never  visited  the 
pyramids  of  Cholula  were  anxious  to  do  so,  and  at  length 
we  raised  a  company  of  commissioned  and  non-com 
missioned  officers,  amounting  to  about  seventy-five  or 
eighty,  and  one  fine  morning  set  out  to  visit  the  pyra 
mid  and  city  of  Cholula.  We  swept  over  the  level  plains, 
and  two  hours  and  a  half  brought  us  to  the  city,  where 
I  was,  on  my  second  visit,  in  a  condition  to  take  notes 
of  the  place  and  surroundings,  and  soon  learned  what  I 
had  failed  to  discover  on  my  first  visit,  that  Cholula  was 
the  head-quarters  of  the  Catholic  clergy.  As  we  all  rode 
up  to  the  plaza,  I  noticed  a  large  number  of  boys,  about 
one  hundred  and  sixty,  all  swinging  censers,  and,  at  the 
head,  two  mitred  priests.  They  were  in  two  files  and 
presented  quite  an  imposing  sight.  It  must  have  been 
some  holiday  with  them.  There  was  a  ditch  between  us 
and  them;  I  clapped  spurs  to  old  Selim,  we  scaled  the 
ditch,  and  in  less  time  than  I  am  writing  it,  were  at  the 


208  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

head  of  the  procession.  The  priests  left  their  flocks  in 
great  consternation.  I  drew  my  saber  and  bade  the 
youngsters  (who  ranged  from  fourteen  to  eighteen  years) 
forward  march.  They  were  headed  for  a  large  cathe 
dral.  I  marched  them  along  to  the  side  of  the  building, 
when  I  gave  the  order,  "  File  left;  march."  When  they 
reached  the  door,  I  again  ordered  them,  "  Single  file; 
march."  They  entered  the  building,  and  I  sat  upon  my 
horse  until  the  last  one  had  disappeared,  when  I  sheathed 
my  sword,  released  my  horse,  and  joined  my  companions. 
Some  of  them  wanted  to  know  what  I  meant.  I  told 
them  that  I  just  wanted  to  see  how  it  would  seem  to 
command  Mexicans. 

We  then  made  a  general  circuit  of  the  town;  but  could 
see  but  small  evidence  of  that  grandeur  we  read  of  at 
the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest.  There  were  no  moss- 
covered  piles  or  mound  walls  to  impress  the  minds  of  the 
traveler  that  it  had  ever  been  the  seat  of  a  mighty 
empire  or  the  home  of  kings,  outside  of  the  vast  ruins 
of  its  pyramids;  and  to  this  I  never  gave  my  attention. 
I  obtained  through  my  interpreter,  from  an  aged  Mexi 
can,  this  tradition:  When  the  pyramid  was  intact,  it  was 
very  high;  and  long  ago  the  city  of  Cholula  was  destroyed 
by  a  vast  flow  of  lava  from  the  crater  of  the  Popocate 
petl,  situated  some  thirty-six  miles  west  of  the  city;  that 
Cholula  was  afterwards  rebuilt,  and,  as  there  was  no  hill 
to  escape  to,  the  people  built  the  pyramid  to  have  a 
retreat  in  case  of  another  inundation  from  the  fiery  flood  ; 
that  after  it  had  stood  for  many  years,  there  came  a 
great  earthquake  and  shook  it  down;  that  before  the 
earthquake  the  Popocatepetl  was  in  an  active  state  of 
eruption,  with  the  lava  streams  flowing  to  the  valley,  and 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  20D 

thousands  had  already  taken  possession  of  the  pyramid 
as  a  protection  against  the  burning  flood  that  was  ap 
proaching  the  valley;  and  that  at  the  time  of  the  earth 
quake  they  were  buried  beneath  the  huge  pile  or  crushed 
by  its  fall. 

I  am  aware  that  some  historians  speak  of  a  second 
and  smaller  pyramid  at  Cholula;  but  as  for  myself  I 
saw  but  one,  and  what  their  imagination  has  pictured  to 
be  a  small  pyramid,  I  am  fully  satisfied  is  but  a  portion 
of  the  great  and  only  one.  On  a  close  examination,  I 
am  convinced  that  the  pyramid  of  Cholula  was  once  at 
least  three  times  as  high  as  it  is  now,  and  that  it  has  fallen 
to  the  north  and  left  quite  a  long  mound,  which,  if  solid, 
would  be  a  cone  with  its  base  to  the  standing  part  of  the 
pyramid.  I  was  more  fully  convinced  on  examining  the 
corresponding  parts  of  the  pyramid  and  comparing  them 
with  the  fallen  portion.  It  is  asserted  by  most  writers 
on  the  subject  that  the  pyramid  is  built  of  unburned 
brick;  as  to  the  truth  or  falsity  of  this  allegation,  I  can 
not  say,  as  I  could  at  no  point  discover  any  shape 
of  adobe  or  brick;  but  the  principal  ingredient  forming, 
this  immense  pile  is  a  hard  clay,  resembling  in  texture 
the  adobe  used  by  the  Mexicans  in  constructing  their 
houses;  but  it  is  no  harder  than  the  uncultivated  earth  of 
the  valley  in  summer;  but  there  is  one  thing  that  I  think 
is  not  noticed  by  any  writer,  and  that  is  that  mingled 
with  the  general  mass  composing  the  pyramid  are  thou 
sands  and  probably  millions  of  small  images  of  every 
thing  that  walks,  hops,  creeps,  swims,  and  flies,  that  is 
known  to  that  country.  I  commenced  digging  with  a 
short  sword,  and  in  an  hour's  time  I  had  dug  out  of  the 
standing  pyramid  and  debris  of  the  fallen  portion,  at 


210  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

least  fifty  images.  They  were  composed  of  pottery 
were  well  burned  and  in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation. 
There  were  deer,  bears,  wolves,  coons,  foxes,  fish,  croco 
diles,  serpents,  lizards,  monkeys,  parrots,  ducks,  geese, 
swan,  chickens,  elks,  and  innumerable  types'  of  the 
human  family,  giving  additional  proof  that  the  fallen 
remains  were  but  a  part  and  parcel  of  the  original 
pyramid;  the  images  were  alike  mingled  in  the  compo 
nent  parts  of  both.  I  carefully  preserved  the  images  that 
I  'had  taken  out,  and  brought  them  home  with  me  to 
Illinois.  Among  the  balance  of  my  curiosities,  over 
thirty  years'  absence  has  scattered  them  to  the  winds 
and  robbed  me  of  my  relics,  at  least  so  far  as  I  know. 

The  location  of  the  town  of  Cholula  was  well  chosen, 
the  soil  in  the  vicinity  is  fertile  and  productive,  with 
brooks  of  clean,  fresh  water  wending  through  the  valley; 
and  while  I  say  that  the  town  was  never  of  the  magni 
tude  that  writers  claim  for  it,  yet  there  are  evidences  to 
show  that  it  has  been  much  larger  and  more  flourishing 
than  it  is  at  the  present  time.  After  having  spent  the 
day  in  investigating  the  town  and  pyramid  of  Cholula, 
our  company  returned  to  Puebla  without  accident  or 
adventure  further  than  related. 

At  the  entry  of  the  Americans  into  Puebla,  or  the 
"  city  of  churches,"  the  immense  wealth  of  the  clergy 
has  been  hastily  considered,  the  wealth  consisting  of 
gold  and  silver  plate,  ornaments,  and  jewels,  which 
amounted  in  value  to  many  millions  of  dollars.  This 
wealth  found  hiding-places  inside  and  outside  of  the 
city  limits  at  the  time  of  the  capitulation  of  the  city  to 
the  Americans.  The  bishop  had  a  palatial  mansion 
about  three  miles  south  of  the  city,  where  it  was  con- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  211 

fidently  asserted,  and  doubtless  with  truth,  that  great 
masses  of  the  church  wealth  was  deposited,  and  probably 
a  more  fitting  place  could  not  have  been  selected.  I 
had  ofttimes  listened  to  the  tales  told  me  regarding  the 
beauty  of  the  grounds  and  magnificent  buildings,  and 
curiosity  prompted  me,  on  one  of  my  wild  rambles,  to 
visit  the  place.  It  was  a  pleasant  summer  day  and  the 
gates  of  the  grounds  were  open.  I  first  met  a  menial 
who  told  me  in  their  language  "  to  leave."  I  assured 
him  that  I  would  do  no  harm;  that  I  merely  wished  to 
see  the  grounds.  He  was  inexorable,  and  seized  my 
horse  by  the  bit  and  attempted  to  turn  him  about.  At 
this,  I  drew  my  saber  and  told  him  to  let  go  my  rein  or 
I  would  cut  his  arm  off.  He  accordingly  released  his 
hold  on  my  bridle. 

.  At  this  juncture  a  padre  came  up,  who  said  "that  the 
grounds  were  private  and  strangers  were  not  admitted." 
I  apologized  and  said  I  was  attracted  to  the  spot  by  the 
beauty  of  the  grounds  and  had  no  idea  of  interfering 
with  private  property,  and  it  was  sufficient  for  me  to 
know  that  the  public  were  excluded.  Whereupon  the 
padre  very  courteously  invited  me  to  dismount,  and 
ordered  the  peon  to  take  charge  of  my  horse.  We 
walked  together  over  the  most  artistically  arranged 
grounds  that  I  had  ever  visited  since  my  arrival  on  Mex 
ican  soil.  There  was  a  beautiful  grove  of  orange  trees 
loaded  with  ripe,  yellow  oranges,  interspersed  with  green 
fruit  and  blossoms.  On  the  other  side  of  the  walk  was 
a  large  grove  of  lemon  and  lime  trees;  and  further  along 
the  walk  was  on  one  side  a  grove  of  olives,  while  upon 
the  other  side  were  bananas  and  other  fruits.  At  the  end 
of  the  walk  we  came  to  the  baths,  which  were  supplied 


212  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

by  a  large  sulphur  spring",  and,  on  invitation  of  the  .padre, 
I  treated  myself  to  a  refreshing  bath.  The  cautious 
padre  continued  to  walk  in  the  shrubbery  while  I  took 
my  bath,  when  he  again  joined  me;  but  I  observed  an 
equal  precaution  by  keeping  my  sword  and  side  arms 
close  by  me.  When  fully  dressed,  we  again  sauntered 
around  the  grounds,  keeping  in  the  shade,  where  I  spent 
over  two  hours  in  a  state  of  perfect  bliss,  and  while  there 
I  could  not  help  noticing  the  great  strength  of  the  gates 
and  towers.  On  approaching  the  building,  I  recollected 
the  stories  regarding  the  great  church  wealth  therein 
deposited.  I  returned  to  quarters,  where  I  freely  con 
versed  with  my  fellow-officers  about  the  place  of  my 
adventure,  when  the  matter  was  dropped  and  almost 
forgotten  by  me. 

Probably  about  four  weeks  after  the  adventure  last 
narrated,  one  night  about  nine  o'clock  the  colonel's 
orderly  came  to  my  quarters  with  a  note  requesting  me 
to  call  at  the  colonel's  quarters  forthwith,  on  a  matter  of 
importance.  I  complied  with  the  request.  On  my 
arrival  there  I  found  about  twenty-five  commissioned 
officers  in  attendance,  who  I  soon  learned  had  been 
called  together  for  a  business  meeting,  which  had  been 
for  some  little  time  in  session;  and  when  introduced,  I 
was  requested  to  pledge  myself  upon  the  honor  of  an 
American  officer  that,  in  case  I  should  not  be  in  sympathy 
with  the  move  about  being  inaugurated,  I  would  not  ex 
pose  the  scheme,  or  the  name  of  any  individual  connected 
with  it.  To  this  I  gave  a  qualified  consent,  stating  that 
unless  there  was  something  treasonable  in  it,  or  involv 
ing  my  honor  as  a  man,  I  would  remain  silent  and 
ignorant  of  everything  that  occurred  there  that  evening. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  213 

Upon  this  promise  I  was  let  into  the  secret  of  the 
meeting,  or  rather  organization,  which  I  found  to  be  as 
follows:  They  had  learned,  by  information  entirely 
reliable,  that  the  diamonds  and  most  valuable  portion  of 
the  church  wealth  at  Puebla  had  been  collected  together 
and  deposited  at  the  bishop's  hacienda;  that  some  time 
before,  the  padre  had  been  corrupted  by  some  of  the 
officers,  and  at  their  instigation  had  wound  himself  into 
the  good  graces  of  the  bishop  and  the  attaches  of  his 
hacienda,  and  now  was  resident  there;  that  he,  for  a 
stipulated  fee,  was  to  give  the  parties  in  the  plot  access 
to  the  inside  as  well  as  outside,  and  that  it  was,  in 
reality,  a  kind  of  second  Gibraltar;  that  there  was  an 
abundance  of  arms  and  ammunition,  and  about  twenty 
resolute  men  to  use  them;  that  the  plan,  as  far  as  devel 
oped,  was  that  every  one  there  was  to  make  one  of  a  party 
to  attack  and  rob  the  bishop's  hacienda;  that  each  one 
was  to  take  a  soldier's  uniform  to  be  worn  on  the  occasion ; 
and  that  no  one  was  to  wear  any  insignia  of  rank  that 
could  expose  them  in  case  of  disaster  or  accident;  that 
each  was  to  arm  himself  with  a  musket  and  bayonet, 
with  forty  rounds  of  mixed  ammunition  in  his  cartridge 
box;  that  the  expedition  should  be  conducted  on  foot; 
that  the  parties  should  leave  the  city  at  the  hour  of 
eleven  o'clock  at  night,  in  squads  not  to  exceed  three  or 
four  at  most,  and  were  to  meet  at  a  well-known  point 
outside  the  city,  about  one  mile  distant. 

All  this  was  minutely  detailed  to  me,  showing  that 
their  plans  had  been  well  matured,  and  they  further 
assured  me  that  in  case  success  crowned  our  efforts  we 
should  all  be  millionaires;  that  there  had  been  several 
meetings,  and  the  thing  had  been  fully  discussed;  that 


214  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

the  attempt  was  to  be  made  at  a  time  when  the  bishop 
was  sure  to  be  at  home,  of  which  we  would  be  informed 
by  the  venial  old  priest;  and  when  once  in  possession  of 
the  bishop,  the  rest  would  be  easy.  "  But,"  said  I, 
"about  the  old  priest;  supposing  he  betrays  you?" 
That  they  did  not  fear,  as  the  arrangement  was  made 
that  he  was  to  meet  them  outside  the  gate,  and  accom 
pany  them,  and  that  he  had  been  admonished  that  the 
first  signs  of  treachery  on  his  part  would  decide  his  fate; 
that  they  had  held  several  meetings,  and  thus  far  had 
their  plans  matured,  and  that  their  only  trouble  would 
be  to  make  their  way  to  the  underground  vaults,  where 
they  were  informed  that  the  treasure  was  deposited. 
"  But,"  said  they,  "  we  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
if  we  could  catch  the  old  bishop,  by  the  threat  of  cold 
steel,  we  might  easily  persuade  him  to  draw  the  bolts, 
that  conceal  the  hidden  treasures."  I  was  further 
informed  they  had  been  discussing  the  question  as  to 
who  should  lead  the  expedition,  and  that  they  had 
unanimously  chosen  me  in  case  I  would  join  them  in 
the  enterprise. 

I  was  perfectly  astounded  at  the  idea  of  the  thing, 
and  the  cool  atrocity  contemplated,  as  well  as  the  propo 
sition  that  I  should  become  the  leader  of  a  band  of 
thieves;  for  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  look  upon  it  in 
any  other  light.  I  told  them  that  under  any  other  cir 
cumstances  I  should  be  very  thankful  to  them  for  the 
honor  that  such  an  appointment  would  confer,  but  that 
I  could  not  thank  them  for  such  an  offer  of  preference, 
and  that,  under  no  circumstances,  could  I  be  induced  to 
take  any  part  in-  the  matter;  that  I  held  a  commission 
under  one  of  the  proudest  Governments  in  the  world, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  21p 

and  that  full  faith  and  confidence  were  reposed  in  me 
by  my  country;  and  that  I  would  faithfully  discharge 
my  duty  as  a  soldier  of  the  great  American  republic, 
and  would  never  bring  a  stain  upon  the  grand  escutcheon 
of  our  nation;  that  I  thought  the  whole  thing  was  ill- 
advised,  and  that  upon  serious  reflection  I  did  not  believe 
that  one  of  them  would  for  a  moment  think  of  carrying 
the  plot  into  execution.  If  I  had  been  astonished  at 
the  narration  of  the  scheme  in  which  they  were  engaged, 
I  was  more  astonished  at  the  result  of  my  remarks.  I 
saw  that  I  had  awakened  them  to  the  enormity  of  the 
offense  they  were  about  to  commit.  I  assured  them  the 
secret  was  safe  as  far  as  I  was  concerned;  that  if  they 
persisted  in  carrying  out  their  plan,  I  should  feel  myself 
bound  by  my  promise;  but  I  begged  them,  for  sake  of 
their  own  self-respect  and  for  the  sake  of  the  reputation 
of  the  army  and  our  country,  to  abandon  the  enterprise 
and  forget  it;  but,  if  remembered  at  all,  to  be  only  as  a 
fevered  dream. 

I  took  leave  of  the  party,  returned  to  my  quarters, 
and  that  was  the  last  of  the  expedition;  but  since  that 
time  and  since  the  close  of  the  war,  I  have  ofttimes  been 
thanked  by  my  companions  for  the  stand  I  took  on  that 
occasion. 


216  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

MEMOIRS    OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR — CONTINUED. 

ABOUT  the  latter  part  of  April,  1848,  as  the  war  was 
drawing  to  a  close,  there  was  a  considerable  force 
of  Mexican  and  American  deserters  assembled  in  a  large 
hacienda,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Orizaba  Mountains, 
and  were  making  constant  incursions  into  the  surround 
ing  settlements,  robbing  Mexicans  and  small  detach 
ments  of  troops,  and  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it 
was  necessary  to  dislodge  them.  For  this  purpose  a 
small  volunteer  force  from  the  command  stationed  at 
Puebla  determined  to  perform  that  service.  The  volun 
teer  command  consisted  of  about  two  companies  of  the 
Sixth  Illinois  Infantry,  which,  under  Colonel  Collins, 
composed  the  expedition.  We  were  to  be  guided  by  a 
woman  and  her  son,  who  claimed  to  know  the  country 
and  the  exact  location  of  the  robbers'  den,  which  was 
said  to  be  some  forty  miles  from  Puebla.  Accordingly 
the  command  took  up  its  line  of  march  about  daylight, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  woman  and  her  son.  Lieu 
tenant  Poleon  and  myself  were  to  be  of  the  expedition, 
but  were  detained  in  settling  up  some  matters  in  con 
nection  with  a  court-martial  held  on  the  previous  day, 
until  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  But,  having 
learned  that  the  command  would  pass  en  route  through 
Tepeaca,  about  twenty-five  miles  distant,  we  mounted 
our  horses  and  followed  after  the  command;  and,  after 
a  ride  of  about  fifteen  miles,  we  began  to  overtake  a  few 
stragglers  in  the  rear. 

The  first  whom  we  overtook  were  Lebenstein  and  a 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  217 

wild  Irishman,  whom  we  called  the  "flying  dispatch." 
A  Mexican  was  pleading  with  the  Irishman  to  give  him 
his  serape  (a  blanket  with  a  hole  in  the  center  to  go  over 
the  head).  I  said  to  him,  "  Have  you  got  the  Mexican's 
blanket  ?  "  seeing  he  had  a  Mexican  serape  hanging  over 
his  arm.  He  replied,  "No;  shure,  I  have  not."  I  asked, 
"Where  did  you  get  that  blanket?"  "And  is  it  the 
blanket  you  mane  ?  Shure,  I  bou  ght  it  of  Captain 
Wight,  and  gave  him  two  dollars  and  a  quarther  for  it." 
About  this  time  another  "  greaser  "  crawled  out  of  the 
brush,  and,  "  Si  Sefwr,  la  serape  es  el  otros  Jtombres"  I 
turned  to  Lebenstein  and  asked  him  if  that  was  the 
Mexican's  blanket.  He  answered  by  an  inclination  of 
the  head.  I  turned  to  the  "  flying  dispatch,"  and  advised 
him  to  give  the  Mexican  his  blanket.  Whereupon  he 
threw  it  at  the  Mexican,  and  exclaimed,  "  Take  it,  ye 
murdersome  thafe,  and  bad  luck  to  the  day  I  iver  came 
to  Mexico,  to  be  robbed  by  a  graser."  We  ordered  them 
to  close  up  on  the  rear,  and  riding  on  soon  gained  the 
front,  and  arrived  at  Tepeaca  about  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  where  we  encamped  for  the  night. 

We  were  within  the  walls  of  a  town  of  considerable 
size,  all  of  whose  inhabitants  were  hostile  to  us,  and 
before  we  were  settled  in  our  quarters,  news  was  brought 
in  from  the  rear  that  one  man  had  been  picked  off  and 
killed  by  the  Mexican  marauders.  Some  eight  or  ten 
of  us  remounted  our  horses,  and  rode  back  to  where 
we  found  the  man  shot  and  his  skull  crushed  in  by  a 
rock.  Continuing  our  ride  to  the  rear,  we  immediately 
gave  chase,  but  took  no  prisoners.  Captain  Armstrong 
(not  of  our  command),  one  of  the  party,  was  slightly 
wounded  in  the  leg  by  an  escopet  ball.  We  returned  to 
15 


218  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

the  town,  where  before  midnight  there  was  an  alarm, 
and  our  sentinels  were  driven  in  and  a  general  assault 
made  upon  our  camp;  but  we  soon  repulsed  them  with 
but  slight  loss  on  either  side,  one  of  our  men  being  shot 
in  the  shoulder,  and  three  of  the  Mexicans  killed. 

The  next  morning  we  resumed  our  march  for  our 
destination.  We  marched  all  day  until  night,  when  we 
began  to  suspect  our  guides.  The  woman  and  young 
man  were  called  to  a  counsel,  when  they  declared  they 
were  lost.  We  placed  them  under  guard  and  continued 
our  march,  'soon  coming  to  a  Mexican  hamlet,  where 
we  found  that  we  were  within  two  leagues  of  the  place 
we  were  seeking.  We  pressed  a  Mexican  into  our 
service  as  guide,  and  continued  our  march,  which  had 
become  very  laborious;  the  roads  were  rocky  and  we 
were  winding  up  through  ravines  and  continuously  up 
the  spurs  of  the  Orizaba,  and  ere  we  were  aware,  our 
last  guide  had  deserted  us;  but  we  continued  to  follow 
the  road,  when  about  two  A.  M.  we  came  in  front  of  a 
large  hacienda,  where  we  halted  to  make  further  in 
quiries.  I  had  dismounted  and  thrown  myself  upon  the 
ground  near  the  walls  of  the  place,  holding  my  horse  by 
the  bits,  when  all  of  a  sudden  I  heard  the  report  of  a 
gun  above  me,  and  a  bullet  struck  the  ground  about 
three  feet  from  me.  My  horse  sprang  back  and  jerked 
me  to  my  feet,  and  about  this  time  the  bullets  from  the 
hacienda  were  rattling  around  like  hail,  and  it  did  not 
take  us  long  to  learn  two  things:  First,  that  we  had 
found  the  place  we  were  looking  for;  second,  that  they 
had  been  notified  that  we  were  coming. 

It  was  useless  for  us  to  return  their  fire,  as  they  were 
wholly  protected  by  the  walls.  The  officers  held  a  hasty 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  219 

consultation,  and  we  resolved  to  force  the  gate.  Colonel 
Collins  took  no  command,  but  placed  Capt.  C.  L.  Wight 
first,  and  myself  second,  in  command.  Wight  ordered 
the  squad  to  seize  a  large  bowlder  and  batter  the  gate. 
They  did  so  for  half  a  minute,  when  they  found  they 
would  have  to  get  something  heavier,  and  had  stepped 
from  the  front  of  the  gate  when  a  perfect  blaze  of  fire 
came  through  the  third  paneling  of  the  gate,  between 
the  heavy  framework.  I  ordered  up  a  platoon  and 
delivered  a  volley  back  at  them,  and  ordered  the  rear  to 
reload;  then  ordered  the  second  platoon  up  and  deliv 
ered  the  second  volley  through  the  gate.  By  this  time 
Captain  Wight  had  found  a  large  square  timber  to  use 
as  a  battering  ram,  and  as  all  those  before  the  gate  were 
stooping  to  raise  the  timber,  the  Mexicans  delivered 
another  volley  through  the  gate,  just  high  enough  to  go 
over  their  backs,  one  of  the  bullets  striking  a  man  in 
the  rank  beyond.  I  ordered  the  men  up  by  platoons 
and  gave  them  two  more  volleys  through  the  panels, 
which  effectually  silenced  them.  Captain  Wight  then 
plied  the  battering  ram  so  vigorously  that  the  gate 
yielded,  and  we  rushed  into  the  hall  and  through  into 
the  court  yard,  where  the  last  of  the  Mexicans  were 
scaling  the  rear  walls.  Their  leader  was  a  fat  Mexican, 
who  slipped  and  fell  back;  a  dozen  muskets  were  leveled 
on  him  in  an  instant,  but  Captain  Wight  and  myself 
threw  ourselves  between  the  Mexican  and  our  men,  and 
that  saved  his  life.  We  made  him  and  several  others 
prisoners,  and  were  soon  in  complete  possession  of  their 
stronghold. 

I  forgot  to  state  that  during  the  first  firing  our  surgeon 
came  rushing  up  to  me  and  said,  "  My  horse  has  .broken 


220  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

from  me,  and  run  in  that  direction,"  indicating  by  point 
ing  his  finger.  I  charged  off*  in  the  direction  indicated, 
and  had  not  ridden  more  than  one  hundred  yards  when 
a  gun  cracked  beneath  a  bush,  a  bullet  came  whizzing 
past  my  ear,  and  a  Mexican  started  to  run!  I  charged 
after  him  and  delivered  my  holster  fire.  He  evidently 
was  a  guerrilla  chief,  as  he  wore  a  very  rich  pancho.  I 
had  it  for  many  years;  it  was  stolen  from  me  in  Placer- 
ville  in  1863.  I  did  not  find  the  surgeon's  horse.  We 
erected  a  temporary  barricade  at  the  front  entrance 
where  we  had  broken  down  the  gate,  placed  our  senti 
nels,  and  quartered  for  the  balance  of  the  night.  The 
Mexicans  and  deserters  kept  up  a  desultory  firing  all 
night  from  the  brush  and  outer  walls;  we  could  easily 
distinguish  the  Mexican  shots  from  the  whiz  of  the 
American  cartridge  in  possession  of  the  deserters.  The 
old  don  that  we  had  captured,  after  finding  that  he  was 
in  no  immediate  danger,  became  quite  cheerful  and 
communicative,  informing  us  that  his  name  was  Pedro 
Sanchez;  that  a  scout  had  been  sent  from  Tepeaca 
informing  him  that  a  band  of  Americans  was  en  route 
to  attack  and  sack  his  hacienda,  and  -that  he  had  made 
such  hasty  preparations  for  its  defense  as  he  could  in 
the  short  time  allotted  to  him. 

Thus  we  learned  to  a  certainty  that  we  had  been 
betrayed  by  our  guides.  The  old  man  denied  that  he  was 
a  robber  or  that  he  had  harbored  any  deserters,  but  that 
there  was  a  band  of  Americans  about  four  miles  from 
their  encampment  in  the  mountains.  The  truth  may  as 
well  be  told  here;  we  had  expected  to  capture  a  booty 
of  at  least  forty  thousand  dollars  at  this  hacienda,  of 
which  the  inhabitants  had  been  robbed.  The  premises 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  221 

were  searched,  but  no  strong  box  or  money  was  to  be 
found.  With  the  notice  they  had  of  course  that  was 
taken  care  of.  The  next  morning  they  restored  the 
doctor's  horse  and  surgical  instruments,  and  we  took 
the  old  don  to  Puebla  for  examination,  turning  him 
over  to  the  Mexican  authorities,  the  news  having  reached 
us  that  a  peace  had  been  concluded  at  Queretaro. 

I  found  a  very  remarkable  picture  hanging  on  the  wall. 
It  was  in  a  heavy  black  ebony  frame  with  French  glass 
in  front  of  it.  I  mashed  the  glass  and  took  the  picture. 
It  was  worked  on  silk,  and  was  a  marvel  of  artistic 
needle-work.  I  made  inquiries  of  the  old  don  regard 
ing  the  picture,  telling  him  at  the  same  time  that  I  had 
robbed  his  establishment  of  that  alone,  as  I  did  not 
believe  that  either  he  or  his  kind  had  much  use  for  the 
Holy  Virgin.  He  said  the  picture  was  quite  famous  for 
its  antiquity;  that  it  had  been  wrought  by  the  nuns  of  the 
convent  of  San  Domingo  in  1675,  an<^  was  taken  by  his 
father  in  a  raid  on  the  City  of  Mexico,  about  thirty  years 
before.  I  have  ever  since  cherished  the  picture  as  a  choice 
gem  of  antiquity,  and  have  preserved  it  in  all  my  wander 
ings,  and  it  is  now  hanging  in  my  parlor.  The  silk  upon 
which  it  is  wrought  is  cracking  and  giving  way  under 
the  destroying  hand  of  time. 

But  I  soon  had  something  of  more  importance  to 
attract  my  attention  than  Mexican  works  of  art,  or  pretty 
senoras.  It  soon  became  a  fixed  fact  and  known  to  all, 
that  the  great  war  which  had  been  raging  between  the 
republic  of  Mexico  and  the  United  States  of  America 
had  come  to  a  close,  and  preparations  had  to  be  made 
for  evacuating  the  Mexican  territory. 

About  the  last  of  May,  1848,  as  quartermaster,  I   re- 


222  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ceived  orders  to  prepare  my  supply  train  for  the  march; 
to  turn  over  all  my  camp  and  garrison  equipages,  not 
imperatively  necessary  for  the  march,  to  the  quartermas 
ter-general,  that  they  might  be  destroyed;  to  prepare  a 
supply  wagon  for  each  company,  and  one  for  officers' 
baggage  of  each  company;  also,  as  acting  assistant  com 
missary  of  subsistence,  to  accumulate  such  provision  as 
was  necessary  for  supply  on  the  route;  and  as  ordnance 
officer,  to  turn  over  all  arms  to  the  general  department  and 
take  receipts  therefor.  I  had  about  forty-eight  hours  to 
accomplish  this  pretty  little  duty,  which  would  have  em 
ployed  a  Hercules  for  a  week;  but  I  was  young,  active,  and 
energetic,  hardly  knowing  what  fatigue  was,  and  I  never 
slept  from  the  time  I  received  the  order  until  we  were  on 
the  march.  But  a  little  incident  occurred,  just  as  we 
were  ready  to  take  up  our  line  of  march,  which  I  ought 
not  to  omit.  I  was  in  my  saddle  (and  so  were  most  of 
the  infantry  officers,  many  of  them  having  purchased 
Mexican  horses)  when  I  discovered  that  the  baggage 
wagon  of  Company  K,  Second  Illinois  Volunteers,  had 
disappeared.  I.  rode  up  to  the  captain  of  that  company 
and  rather  authoritatively  demanded  what  had  become 
of  the  wagon.  He  replied  that  he  had  ordered  it  to 
drive  on.  I  addressed  a  coarse  remark  to  him,  and  de 
manded  what  right  he  had  to  order  the  wagons  to  drive 
on.  He  replied  with  a  taunt.  Our  sabers  sprang  from 
their  scabbards  the  same  instant  and  we  made  a  rush  at 
each  other.  We  had  just  crossed  swords,  when  Lieuten 
ant-Colonel  Hicks  threw  his  blade  between  ours,  and 
ordered  us  both  under  arrest,  and  took  our  swords. 
Here  everything  came  to  a  standstill,  as  I  was  the  mov 
ing  spirit  of  the  command,  and  could  not  be  immediately 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  223 

replaced.  The  consequence  was,  the  captain  was  re 
turned  to  the  rear.  The  lieutenant-colonel  returned  my 
sword  to  me,  remarking  at  the  same  time  that  I  had 
very  much  to  vex  me  and  he  could  hardly  blame  me. 
The  captain  was  kept  under  arrest  for  several  days,  and 
then  discharged.  The  truth  of  the  matter  is,  he  was 
wrong,  and  I  was  insolent,  and  both  of  us  deserved  pun 
ishment. 

At  this  time  I  was  discharging  the  threefold  duties  of 
acting  quartermaster,  acting  assistant  commissary  of 
subsistence,  and  ordnance  officer  of  my  regiment  and 
six  attached  companies;  and  I  now  took  charge  of  Col, 
Charles  Bruff's  brigade,  he  having  been  breveted  brig 
adier-general,  and  we  were  all  of  General  Patterson's  di 
vision,  of  which  Colonel  Wyncoop  was  the  acting  officer. 
Bruff's  brigade  took  the  advance,  and  I  soon  discovered 
that  many  of  the  men  who  had  been  taken  from  the  hospi 
tals,  and  others  from  having  lain  long  in  camp,  were  giving 
out  on  the  march,  and  it  was  necessary  that  we  have  more 
transportation.  Consequently,  I  started  for  the  rear,  to 
make  arrangements  for  the  wagons.  I  then  made  a  ride 
which  I  deemed  a  somewhat  famous  one, making  one  hun 
dred  and  thirty  miles,  and  only  out  of  the  saddle  long 
enough  to  change  horses.  I  had  left  the  quartermaster's 
arrangements  in  the  hands  of  my  quartermaster-sergeant, 
so  far  as  the  Illinois  Volunteers  regiment  was  concerned. 
On  my  return  late  at  night,  I  found  my  quartermaster- 
sergeant  under  arrest,  by  order  of  Col.  James  Collins. 
On  inquiry  I  found  that  a  lieutenant  had  attempted  to 
force  himself  into  one  of  the  sick  wagons.  The  quar 
termaster-sergeant  had  resisted  his  effort.  The  sergeant 
drew  his  pistol  on  him,  and  on  complaint  of  the  lieuten- 


224  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ant,  Collins  had  ordered  the  arrest.  Having  heard  the 
whole  facts  of  the  case,  I  went  directly  to  the  colonel 
and  requested  him  to  release  the  sergeant,  as  his  services 
were  indispensable  to  me  on  the  march,  and  that  Ser 
geant  Norris  was  only  carrying  out  my  orders;  that  before 
leaving  I  had  directed  him  to  keep  all  persons  out  of  the 
wagons  excepting  those  who  already  occupied  them,  they 
then  being  crowded.  In  reply  he  very  pompously  in 
quired  what  authority  I  had  to  issue  orders.  I  retorted 
that  I  had  my  appointment  as  brigade  quartermaster. 
He  said,  "  I  will  let  you  know  that  I  command  this 
regiment,  and  the  wagons,  and  will  say  who  shall  ride 
or  who  shall  not  ride."  I  again  retorted,  "  Yes;  and  with 
all  due  respect,  you  may  also  drive  them,  but  I  shall  hold 
you  responsible  for  all  damages  that  occur  to  the  service 
through  your  interference  with  my  duties." 

The  next  morning  I  was  out  as  usual,  at  three  o'clock, 
waking  all  the  wagon  masters  excepting  those  of  Collin's 
regiment,  and  directing  them  to  wake  the  teamsters  to 
feed  and  harness.  All  was  ready  at  half-past  five  o'clock, 
when  we  took  up  our  line  of  march,  leaving  Colonel 
Collins  and  regiment  in  camp,  who  began  to  stir  about 
the  time  the  rest  of  the  command  was  starting.  I  in 
formed  Colonel  Bruff  as  to  what  I  had  done,  and  the 
reason  for  my  action.  He  said  I  was  right;  that  if 
Colonel  Collins  saw  fit  to  take  the  responsibility  of  inter 
fering  with  my  department,  the  safe  way  for  me  was  to 
let  him  alone.  I  replied  to  Bruff  that  Colonel  Collins 
had  a  right  to  interfere  in  my  business,  as  he  was  my 
superior  officer,  but  he  was  responsible  to  the  Gove  n- 
ment  for  any  injury  accruing  to  the  service  from  such 
interference,  and  that  I  intended  to  report  him  in  case 
any  damage  accrued.  It  was  not  long  after  this  conver- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  225 

sation  when  an  orderly  rode  up  to  me  with  a  note  from 
Colonel  Collins,  requesting  me  to  return  and  take  charge 
of  the  regiment,  and  bring  it  up  to  the  rest  of  the  com 
mand.  I  handed  Bruff  the  note,  and  said,  "  General,  if 
you  order  me  to  go,  I  will  go;  otherwise  Colonel  Collins 
must  come  in  person  and  make  the  request."  He  laugh 
ingly  remarked,  "Do  as  you  please, it  is  not  my  quarrel." 
I  then  penned  a  note  to  Colonel  Collins,  to  the  effect 
that  if  he  would  come  to  the  front,  we  would  negotiate. 
In  the  course  of  a  couple  of  hours,  the  old  colonel  put 
in  an  appearance.  It  was  soon  arranged  that  he  was  to 
release  Norris,  my  quartermaster-sergeant,  and  I  again 
took  charge  of  the  regiment.  I  found  two  wagons 
broken  down,  and  the  balance  of  the  wagons  that  I  had 
procured  the  day  before  were  filled  with  soldiers  who 
thought  that  poor  riding  was  better  than  the  best  walk 
ing.  I  ordered  them  out,  and  placed  some  timber  under 
the  hind  axles  of  the  broken  wagons,  and  loaded  them 
with  hard  beef  and  other  light  articles,  and  managed  to 
get  through  the  pedregal  at  the  pass  of  Alahoya,  where  we 
camped  for  the  night,  and  where  I  made  arrangements 
for  the  balance  of  the  trip,  leaving  the  broken  wagons, 
and  reported  them  broken  down  and  rendered  useless 
by  the  interference  of  "Colonel  Collins  in  the  quartermas 
ter's  department.  For  which  the  colonel  never  forgave 
me, to  the  day  of  his  death. 

Nothing  further  occurred  of  importance  until  our 
arrival  in  Vera  Cruz,  when  one  of  my  wagon  masters 
came  riding  up  to  me,  bare-headed,  with  a  deep  sword 
cut  in  his  forehead,  the  blood  running  down  his  face  and 
neck.  He  saluted,  and  said,  "  This,  captain,  is  what  I  got 
for  obeying  your  orders."  I  asked  him  to  explain,  when 
he  said  that  he  was  taking  his  train  of  wagons  to  the 


226  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

custom  house  for  distribution,  according  to  my  orders, 
when  Capt.  Harvey  Lee  rode  up  and  ordered  the 
driver  of  his  company  wagon  to  break  the  line  and  drive 
immediately  to  his  quarters,  and  when  the  wagon  master 
resisted  his  order,  he  drew  his  sword  and  gave  him  the 
wound  (which  was  a  very  serious  one).  On  hearing  this 
recital,  I  put  spurs  to  my  horse  and  rode  off  in  pursuit 
of  Lee.  I  soon  found  him,  and  at  once  denounced  him 
as  a  dastard  and  a  coward.  We  both  drew  and  would 
have  settled  the  matter  right  there,  but  for  the  interfer 
ence  of  a  number  of  officers  present.  I  then  rode  off, 
and  preferred  charges  against  Lee.  But  the  yellow  fever 
had  just  broken  out  in  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  army  was 
ready  and  anxious  to  embark  for  home,  and  the  charges 
would  necessarily  involve  a  trial  which  would  detain  us 
and  other  officers  for  several  days,  and  at  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  the  officers  I  withdrew  the  charges  and 
allowed  Lee  to  be  discharged  from  arrest;  which  was 
done  with  great  reluctance  on  my  part,  as  it  was  a  das 
tardly  act  on  the  part  of  the  captain.  I  have  never  since 
heard  of  the  poor  wounded  wagon  master,  but  if  he  is  still 
alive,  and  this  should  by  chance  meet  his  eye,  he  will  see 
that,  though  from  the  condition  of  things  I  could  not 
avenge  his  wrongs,  at  least  I  have  not  forgotten  them. 
And  as  to  Capt.  Harvey  Lee,  I  never  saw  him  again  until 
I  had  been  several  years  in  California,  practicing  my 
profession  as  attorney,  when  to  my  surprise  I  found  that 
he  and  myself  were  employed  on  the  opposite  sides  of  a 
case.  I  learned  from  him  that  he  had  been  practicing 
law  in  Benicia;  and  in  justice  to  the  dead,  I  will  here 
say  that  when  I  called.him  a  coward,  I  did  not  believe  it 
myself.  I  think  he  was  a  brave  man,  but  with  much  of 
the  tyrant  in  his  composition. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  227 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

MEMOIRS   OF    THE   MEXICAN    WAR  —  CONTINUED. 

WE  arrived  in  Vera  Cruz  about  the  I2th  of  June, 
1848.  Now  all  was  hubbub  and  confusion.  On 
the  breaking  up  of  the  army  of  occupation  of  Mexico, 
a  commissioner  had  been  sent  from  Washington  to  assign 
ships  for  the  transportation  of  the  various  commands  to 
New  Orleans,  and,  as  acting  commissary  of  subsistence, 
there  was  assigned  to  me  the  charge  of  a  ship.  Accord 
ingly  I  reported  myself  to  the  commissioner  for  that 
purpose.  The  commissioner  asked  for  the  date  of  my 
appointment.  On  examining  it  he  said,  "Yours  is  the 
senior  appointment  of  all  who  have  applied,  and  hence 
you  will  have  the  choice  of  ships."  Now  Captain 
Blanding  was  the  acting  commissary-general  of  the 
command,  and  had  gone  aboard  of  the  Massachusetts 
the  flag-ship,  with  General  Patterson,  without  reporting 
himself  to  the  commissioner.  A  brilliant  idea  struck  me. 
I  replied,  "  I  will  take  charge  of  the  Massachusetts,  the 
flag-ship."  Without  a  word,  the  invoice  of  supplies  of 
that  ship  was  made  out  to  me  and  I  receipted  for  the 
same. 

With  my  receipts  in  my  pocket,  and  sailing  orders  for 
the  ship,  I  repaired  to  the  wharf,  where  Captain  Daniels, 
quartermaster-general,  was  superintending  the  embar 
kation.  After  warmly  thanking  me  for  the  efficient  serv 
ice  I  had  rendered  him,  he  remarked  to  me,  "  I  believe 
you  are  also  commissary  of  subsistence."  I  replied  in 
the  affirmative,  when  he  asked  me  what  ship  I  took 
charge  of.  I  replied,  '%The  Massachusetts."  He  said, 


tJNIVERSITY 


228  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

"I  guess  you  must  be  mistaken;  Captain  Blanding,  as 
commissary-general,  will  take  charge  of  that."  I  cor 
rected  him  by  saying  that  his  was  the  mistake  and  not 
mine;  that  I  had  receipted  for  the  stores  and  held  the 
nvoice.  I  further  explained  the  circumstances  to  him. 
The  captain  laughed  heartily,  and  seemed  to  think  it  one 
of  the  best  jokes  of  the  campaign. 

In  this  connection  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  that  to 
Captain  Daniels'  efforts  the  army  was  more  indebted 
for  the  'safe-conduct  of  the  camp  and  baggage  equip 
ments  of  the  army,  from  the  City  of  Mexico  to  Vera 
Cruz,  than  to  any  other  one  officer.  He  was  active,  en 
ergetic,  and  untiring  in  his  line  of  duty.  And,  by  the 
way,  I  met  Captain  Daniels  in  San  Francisco  about  two 
years  ago,  and  I  could  hardly  bring  myself  to  realize  in 
the  old,  decrepit,  and  hoary  veteran  before  me,  the  active, 
untiring  Captain  Daniels  of  the  army  in  Mexico,  in  1848. 
But  the  hand  of  time  rests  heavily  on  all  of  us,  and  the 
probabilities  are  that  he  discovered  as  great  a  change  in 
me  as  I  did  in  him. 

But  to  return  to  my  narrative.  The  captain  said,  "  I 
will  send  you  aboard  with  flying  colors,  in  my  best  cut 
ter.  But  I  want  you,  if  possible,  to  report  yourself  to 
the  captain  of  the  ship  Massachusetts,  and  when  we  meet 
in  New  Orleans,  tell  me  how  Blanding  took  the  matter.'' 
I  gave  him  my  promise,  shook  his  hand,  threw  a  last 
look  back  upon  Vera  Cruz,  entered  the  boat,  and  was 
soon  skimming  over  the  bright  water  to  the  ship,  which 
lay  anchored  in  the  roadstead.  When  I  came  on  board 
the  ship,  I  saw  General  Patterson,  Captain  Blanding,  and 
a  person  whom  I  supposed  to  be  the  captain  of  the 
Massachusetts,  all  in  conversation  upon  the  quarter-deck 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  229 

I  approached  the  trio,  and  after  saluting  the  general  and 
Captain  Blanding,  I  turned  to  the  captain  of  the  ship, 
and  said,  "  Have  I  the  honor  of  addressing  the  captain 
of  this  ship?"  He  replied,  "I  am  the  captain."  The 
general  then  stepped  forward  and  formally  introduced 
me.  I  then  said  to  the  captain,  "  I  have  the  honor  of 
reporting  myself  as  commissary  of  this  ship."  When 
Blanding  stepped  forward  and  said,  "  Not  quite  so  fast, 
Captain  Norton.  I  am  commissary  here."  I  saluted, 
and  replied,  "I  believe  not,  Captain  Blanding."  He 
changed  color,  and  said  with  some  asperity,  "  What  the 
devil  do  you  mean,  Norton?"  I  again  repeated  that  I 
thought  I  was  commissary  of  the  ship;  adding,  that  at 
least  I  had  receipted  for  the  stores  on  board,  and  held 
the  invoice  of  them,  at  the  same  time  producing  my 
papers,  which,  of  course,  ended  the  controversy.  At 
which  the  general  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh,  and  said, 
"Well,  Captain  Blanding,  this  is  a  good  joke  on  you." 
Captain  Blanding  replied,  "  Well,  general,  give  him  full 
command,  and  we  will  go  below  and  play  chess  during 
the  voyage."  I  was  at  once  installed  in  my  new  position, 
every  order  being  sustained  by  the  general. 

We  had  a  pleasant  trip  across  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  up  the  river  to  New  Orleans.  After  we  had  landed, 
the  officers  generally  took  up  their  quarters  at  the  St. 
Charles  Hotel.  There  I  met  General  Taylor,  Stephen 
A.  Douglas,  and  many  other  notables.  We  had  a  jolly 
time.  Some  one  of  the  officers  referred  to  the  joke  of 
the  "  green  sucker  "  as  applied  to  myself — and  heretofore 
explained — when  Stephen  A.  Douglas  remarked  that 
"a  few  years  ago,  the  'green  suckers'  would  come  float 
ing  down  the  Mississippi  with  their  flat-boats  loaded 


230  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

with  corn  and  potatoes,  and  when  the  question  was 
asked,  '  Where  did  you  come  from  ? '  the  timid  reply 
was,  dropping  the  head,  '  I  come  from  Eelanois.'  But 
now  you  ask  one  of  those  'suckers,'  '  Where  do  you  come 
from  ? '  and  he  will  throw  back  his  head,  look  you  square 
in  the  eye,  and  exclaim,  'I  hail  from  Illinois,  sir.'" 
And,  after  the  achievements  of  the  Illinois  troops  at 
Buena  Vista,  Cerro  Gordo,  and  the  City  of  Mexico,  no 
man  need  to  be  ashamed  that  he  hailed  from  the 
"  Sucker  State." 

Our  command  w  is  sent  up  the  river  a  short  distance, 
and  formed  an  encampment  until  they  were  discharged 
and  paid  off.  And  the  first  thing  we  knew,  there  came 
a  gang  of  sharpers  from  the  city,  waylaying  by  their 
runners  every  soldier  who  had  received  his  pay  and  dis 
charge,  inveigling  him  into  some  low  groggery  or  den, 
where  they  would  get  him  drunk  and  for  a  few  dollars 
get  him  to  sign  away  his  discharge,  with  an  agreement 
and  power  of  attorney  to  collect  back  pay,  and  bounty, 
and  all  rights  and  interests  that  the  soldier  had  in  ex 
pectancy  on  account  of  services  rendered  the  Govern 
ment.  This  was  reported  at  head-quarters,  and  we 
received  an  order  to  arrest  them  and  turn  them  over  to 
the  civil  authorities,  as  swindlers.  General  Taylor  re 
marked,  "  I  think  that  as  they,  just  at  this  time,  seem 
anxious  to  dabble  in  military  affairs,  we  will  give  them 
a  small  experience,  just  to  initiate  them;  see  that  they 
are  '  bucked  and  gagged '  for  four  hours  each."  And  in 
less  than  two  hours  there  were  nine  of  them  rolled  up, 
each  chewing  a  bayonet;  This  caused  quite  a  sensation 
among  the  civilians;  but  they  were  soon  pacified  on 
Taylor's  informing  them  that,  without  warrant  of  law, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  231 

he  would  protect  the  soldiers,  and  that  sooner  than  see 
them  robbed  in  that  way,  in  defiance  of  civil  law,  he 
would  declare  the  city  under  martial  law,  and  thus  pro 
tect  them  from  a  band  of  thieves.  After  this  I  heard 
no  complaint  of  the  militia  punishment,  neither  was 
there  any  occasion  for  further  arrest. 

During  our  stay  in  New  Orleans,  Uncle  Sam  must 
have  footed  up  some  pretty  good  bills;  for  about  a  week 
all  was  mirth  and  hilarity  in  the  city.  Parties  were 
given  by  the  aristocracy  of  New  Orleans  (very  night, 
and  the  military  officers  were  all  welcome  guests;  and 
all  of  the  wealthiest  inhabitants  seemed  to  vie  with  each 
other  in  showing  the  returned  soldiers  that  they  were 
welcome  home.  But  their  glorification  came  to  an  end 
and  vanished  like  a  bright  elysian  dream,  for  then  came 
the  fraternal  hand-shaking  and  heart-burning  of  separa 
tion.  The  different  commands  were  each  sent  home  on 
their  proper  lines  of  travel,  and  in  many  instances  the 
parting  was  like  that  of  the  nearest  and  dearest  of  kin, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  hearts  that  were  left  and  brought 
away  from  Ne\v  Orleans  through  love's  passion  during 
our  short  stay  there.  There  was  a  general  order  left  in 
New  Orleans  that  no  expense  be  spared  in  transporting 
men  and  officers  to  their  homes.  Accordingly  there  was 
an  agreement  entered  into  with  Captain  Taylor,  of  the 
steamer  Illinois,  to  take  our  regiment  up  the  river  to 
Alton  The  captain  agreed  to  transport  us  to  that  point 
and  give  us  en  route  the  best  the  market  afforded ;  for 
the  men,  twenty  dollars  each,  and  officers,  thirty-six  dol 
lars  each,  wines  and  liquors  included.  We  spent  a 
glorious  Fourth  in  New  Orleans;  on  the  5th  we  were  all 
aboard  and  assigned  our  state-rooms,  and  on  the  6th  we 
stemmed  the  tide  up  the  river  for  St.  Louis  and  Alton. 


232  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

We  steamed  up  the  Mississippi  for  two  days  without 
an  incident  worth  mentioning.  The  third  day  a  circum 
stance  occurred  that  marred  the  hilarity  and  harmony 
of  the  remainder  of  the  trip.  The  command  was  under 
the  charge  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hicks,  a  small,  wiry 
man,  weighing  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds, 
while  Captain  Taylor  was  a  man  that  stood  something 
over  six  feet,  and  weighing  about  two  hundred  and 
twenty  pounds.  Hicks  had  boxed  up  some  specimens 
of  earthenware  and  other  novelties  that  could  be  easily 
broken;  and  it  appeared  he  had  given  the  captain  especial 
caution  regarding  them,  and  the  captain  had  promised 
to  see  that  they  were  carefully  handled.  I  was  in  the 
cabin  playing  a  game  of  cards,  when  I  heard  a  great  noise 
and  excitement  on  the  lower  or  boiler  deck,  and  the  word 
was  passed  up  that  Colonel  Hicks  and  the  captain  were 
fighting.  I  dropped  my  cards,  sprang  to  my  feet,  and 
rushed  out  to  the  forward  deck,  when  I  saw  Hicks  com 
ing  up  the  stairs,  looking  somewhat  pale,  followed  by 
the  captain. 

I  said,  "  Colonel,  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  "  Well,"  he 
replied,  "  when  I  put  my  boxes  on  board,  I  told  the 
captain  that  I  wanted  them  handled  carefully,  which  he 
promised  me  should  be  done,  but  when  below  I  saw  the 
men  on  the  lower  deck  knocking  them  about  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  break  everything  in  them.  I  called  the 
captain's  attention  to  it,  and  reminded  him  of  his  promise 
to  me.  He  indignantly  asserted  that  I  had  told  him 
nothing  of  the  kind,  and  I  called  him  a  liar."  At  this 
the  captain  sprang  forward  and  exclaimed,  "And  why 
did  you  call  me  a  liar  ? "  Upon  which  the  colonel  re 
torted,  "  Because  you  are  one."  The  words  had  scarcely 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  2.33 

escaped  his  lips,  before  the  two  men  were  together  again. 
I  shoved  the  captain  back,  saying,  "  If  you  are  spoiling 
for  a  fight,  select  a  man  of  your  own  size."  At  this,  the 
captain  with  a  bound  literally  sprang  over  our  heads, 
exclaiming,  "  I  will  let  you  know  that  I  am  one  of  the 
red-heads ! " 

I  now  discovered  that  the  colonel  had  an  ugly  cut  on 
his  forehead.  He  then  called  out,  "  Norton,  where  are 
your  pistols  ? "  I  ran  and  got  my  holster  pistols  and 
placed  myself  in  the  gang-way,  the  captain  having  run 
to  the  stern  of  the  boat,  as  I  supposed  to  arm  himself. 
At  this  time  the  mate  and  other  officers  of  the  boat  came 
up  to  me  and  said,  "  For  God's  sake,  help  us  to  stop 
this."  I  replied,  "Take  care  of  your  captain;  I  will 
vouch  for  the  colonel."  I  continued,  "  The  captain  has 
doubtless  gone  to  arm  himself,  and  as  soon  as  he  returns, 
I  shall  shoot  him."  The  mate  rushed  off  to  the  stern  of 
the  boat,  but  presently  returned  and  informed  me  that 
the  captain  would  not  again  interfere  with  the  colonel; 
and,  further,  that  he  was  then  washing  himself. 

Thus  ended  what  bade  fair  to  be  a  most  bloody  fight, 
as  there  was  a  large  crew  of  hands  on  the  boat.  But  on 
our  side  there  were  over  three  hundred  soldiers,  well 
armed.  The  colonel  and  the  captain  could  not  meet 
after  this,  except  as  strangers,  and  it  became  necessary 
for  the  management  of  affairs  that  each  should  be  rep 
resented.  The  result  was,  I  took  command,  at  the 
request  of  the  colonel,  and  the  mate  represented  the 
captain,  and  everything  went  along  as  usual.  In  due 
time  we  arrived  at  St.  Louis.  I  made  arrangements  for 
the  boat  to  stop  at  St.  Louis  for  half  an  hour,  as  it  be 
came  necessary  for  me  to  report  to  Captain  Lyon,  after- 
16 


234  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ward  General  Lyon,  then  quartermaster  of  that  post. 
On  returning  to  the  levee,  I  noticed  a  first-class  steamer 
backing  out  into  the  stream.  I  bawled  out,  "  What  are 
you  doing  ?  Who  will  debark  those  men  if  I  am  left  ?  " 
The  wheels  were  reversed,  and  the  boat  stood  in  the 
stream.  I  said,  "  Send  a  boat  ashore  and  fetch  me  on 
board."  In  a  few  minutes  I  was  on  her  deck.  Looking 
about  I  discovered  that  the  decks  were  strewed  with  pigs 
of  lead,  and  at  a  glance  I  saw  that  it  was  not  our  boat. 
I  rushed  to  the  captain  and  informed  him  of  my  mistake. 
The  boat  was  headed  up  stream.  I  said,  "  Never  mind, 
you  can  land  me  at  Alton.  The  captain  exclaimed, 
"  The  devil !  I  am  going  to  New  Orleans."  I  said, 
"  Then  put  me  ashore."  They  again  chopped  about,  and 
landed  me.  On  looking  about,  I  saw  our  boat,  and  the 
officers  and  men  laughing,  having  discovered  my  mis 
take.  I  was  soon  on  board,  and  before  nightfall  the 
whole  command  was  safely  landed  at  Alton,  where,  in 
a  few  days,  all  were  discharged  and  I  returned  to  St. 
Charles,  where  I  met  my  family,  and  the  congratulations 
of  my  fellow-citizens,  when  I  laid  aside  my  sword  and 
returned  to  private  life. 

On  my  arrival  at  Geneva,  in  Kane  County,  Illinois, 
I  heard  the  cannon  boom  at  St.  Charles — a  distance  of 
two  miles — and  in  a  very  short  time  a  carriage  arrived 
for  myself  and  wife  (whom  I  had  met  at  Geneva),  with 
a  large  delegation  of  my  fellow-citizens,  who  escorted 
me  home  to  St.  Charles.  On  arriving  at  the  west  end 
of  the  bridge  across  Fox  River,  there  was  a  densely 
packed  crowd,  and  I  thought  I  had  never  found  the 
bridge  so  long,  as  we  were  two  hours  in  crossing  it,  a 
distance  of  about  four  hundred  feet.  And  I  had  by  this 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  235 

time  learned  that  gilt  buttons  and  epaulets  were  at  a 
premium  in  St.  Charles.  Bonfires  blazed  in  the  evening 
and  impromptu  speeches  were  made,  with  a  grand  ball 
at  night.  In  a  word,  it  was  a  most  gratifying  reunion, 
for  the  most  of  my  company  had  returned  before  myself, 
as  I  had  to  remain  in  Alton  some  weeks  before  I  could 
get  my  official  reports  made  out  and  forwarded  to  Wash 
ington.  I  was  warmly  grasped  by  the  hand  by  fathers 
and  mothers  of  young  men  who  went  out  with  me,  say 
ing,  "  When  you  took  my  son  away,  he  was  wild  and 
wayward;  but  you  have  returned  him  a  perfect  gentle 
man."  With  tears  in  their  eyes,  they  thanked  me  for  their 
improvement.  And  I  found  that  many  letters  had  pre 
ceded  me  from  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers,  even 
exaggerating  the  kindness  they  claimed  to  have  received 
at  my  hands.  But  as  for  that,  I  will  let  the  subjoined 
letter  from  Colonel  Hicks,  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Illinois,  speak 
for  me: — 

MT.  VERNON,  111.,  April  24,  1856. 
My  worthy  and  ever  to  be  remembered  and  respected 
old  friend,  Capt.  L.  A.  Norton:  It  was  with  pleasure, 
indeed,  that  I,  yesterday,  read  your  kind  letter  of  the 
1 3th  of  August.  When  I  looked  at  the  superscription, 
I  was  somewhat  surprised.  I  knew  the  handwriting; 
but  seeing  it  was  sent  from  California,  was  a  thing  I  was 
not  looking  for.  On  the  receipt  of  your  letter,  how 
vividly  my  mind  was  carried  back  to  that  long  and 
tedious  campaign  that  we  made  together.  And  how 
many  reminiscences  presented  themselves  to  my  mind. 
How  fresh  it  brought  to  my  mind  the  many  sufferings  we 
had  to  witness  and  endure.  When  you  spoke  of  the  couch 
of  the  sick  soldier,  tears  involuntarily  rose  in  my  eyes. 


236  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Poor  fellows !  how  many  of  them  have  reached  out  their 
hands  to  me,  when  I  could  feel  the  wet,  clammy  sweat 
on  them  and  know  it  was  the  last,  but  would  try  to  en 
courage  them  in  the  hour  of  death.  In  fancy  I  see  them 
now,  as  we  did  then,  on  their  beds  of  straw  or  blankets, 
laid  on  a  stone  or  brick  floor.  We,  however,  have  the 
proud  gratification  of  knowing  that  they  were  never 
deserted  or  neglected  by  us  for  a  single  moment,  when 
it  was  in  our  power  to  render  them  assistance.  Our  per 
sonal  attention  was  always  at  their  command;  and  it 
affords  me  pleasure  to  be  able  to  say  of  a  truth,  that  I 
received  more  aid  from  you  than  from  any  other  one 
officer  of  my  command  in  ministering  to  the  wants  of 
the  poor  fellows;  and  those  who  survive  fully  appreciate 
it,  and  the  friends  and  relatives  of  those  who  did  not 
return,  often  refer  to  our  kindness  bestowed  upon  them 
when  living.  In  fact,  their  friends  treat  me  with  more 
kindness  than  I  actually  deserve.  I  am  treated  more 
like  a  father  than  a  stranger,  by  them.  You  ask,  then, 
if  my  thirst  for  military  honor  and  glory  ceased  with  the 
close  of  that  war.  It  did,  to  a  certain  extent;  but,  should 
I  ask  you  the  same  question,  with  your  constitution, 
energy,  and  dash,  I  well  know  what  the  answer  would 
be.  ... 

I  want  you  to  let  me  hear  from  you  often;  for  it  does 
my  heart  good  to  keep  up  a  correspondence  with  you. 
Let  us  keep  it  up.  After  wishing  you  health,  wealth, 
and  happiness,  I  subscribe  myself,  your  old  and  sincere 
friend  and  companion-in-arms,  S.  G.  HlCKS. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  237 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

SUBDUING  A   NOTORIOUS    "BULLY." 

ON  my  return  from  Mexico  I  found  my  little  wife 
much  improved  in  health.  I  met  her  in  Geneva, 
the  county  seat  of  Kane  County,  Illinois,  at  the  residence 
of  her  parents,  where  I  remained  several  days  with  her 
before  taking  her  home  to  St.  Charles.  About  two 
days  after  my  arrival  home,  an  incident  happened  that 
made  me  quite  notorious  in  the  northern  portion  of  the 
State,  and  although  it  may  make  me  appear  as  a  brag 
gart  and  boaster,  yet  this  history  would  be  incomplete 
without  the  story. 

I  must  preface  it  by  saying  that  on  my  arrival  in  Du 
Page  County,  Illinois,  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  a 
young  fellow  by  the  name  of  Frederick  Lord,  a  son  of 
Dr.  Lord;  I  think  I  was  about  one  year  his  senior.  It 
was  the  custom  of  that  country  every  Saturday  after- 
ftoon  to  meet  on  the  common  and  wrestle,  and  all  who 
ever  knew  me  in  my  younger  days  can  testify  that  I  was 
an  expert  wrestler;  in  fact,  I  threw  all  the  young  men  in 
that  vicinity.  I  was  light,  but  tall  and  very  active.  On 
the  other  hand  Fred  Lord  was  a  powerfully  built  young 
fellow,  but  with  my  skill  and  action  I  could  always 
handle  him.  Our  acquaintance  extended  over  a  period 
of  more  than  ten  years.  When  Fred  had  matured  he 
was  a  perfect  giant,  standing  six  feet  six  inches  and 
weighing  two  hundred  and  sixty  pounds;  and  for  about 
four  or  five  years  before  the  Mexican  War  he  had  been 
leading  a  very  dissolute  life,  horse-racing,  gambling,  and 
bullying  his  way  through  the  world  to  that  extent  that 
he  had  become  the  terror  of  several  counties. 


238  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


After  I  had  taken  my  departure  for  the  seat  of  war} 
Fred  volunteered  and  went  out  as  a  private;  and  owing 
to  his  natural  insubordination,  he  had  been  frequently 
punished,  and  had  imbibed  such  a  hatred  to  army  officers 
that  when  he  returned  home  he  declared  that  he  had 
whipped  every  officer  of  the  army  in  Mexico  that  he  had 
met  after  the  disbanding  of  the  troops,  and  he  intended 
to  whip  Norton  and  Conkling  (one  of  my  lieutenants 
who  lived  in  St.  Charles),  and  then  he  would  be  satisfied; 
Fred  and  I  had  always  been  friendly,  and  there  was  no 
cause  for  the  threat.  But  when  it  was  reported  to  me, 
I  sent  him  word  that  he  had  better  commence  on  me, 
as  I  was  the  smaller  of  the  two,  and  perhaps  when  he 
had  whipped  me  he  might  not  want  to  attack  the  other. 

It  was  Monday  morning,  and  the  Circuit  Court  of  Kane 
County  was  to  commence  its  session  that  day.  The 
Geneva  Hotel  was  packed  with  people,  and  about  eight 
o'clock  I  walked  over  to  the  hotel  to  get  my  morning 
"cocktail."  I  met  J.  Y.  Scammonds  (author  of  "  Scam- 
mond's  Reports")  and  an  eminent  attorney  from  Chicago 
by  the  name  of  Brown.  After  some  conversation,  Scam 
monds  asked  me  if  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  General 
Taylor  (the  men  were  canvassing  for  Taylor).  I  in 
formed  them  that  I  had.  They  asked  me  when  I  had 
last  seen  him.  I  replied  that  I  left  Taylor  at  the  St. 
Charles  Hotel  in  New  Orleans,  on  the  29th  of  June  last. 
Just  as  I  made  the  reply,  Fred  Lord  stepped  out  of  the 
parlor,  where  he  had  been  carrying  on  a  flirtation  with 
some  girls,  and  said,  "  Where  do  you  say  you  saw  Gen 
eral  Taylor  last?  "  I  repeated,  "  In  New  Orleans,  on  the 
29th  of  June  last."  He  said,  "General  Taylor  was  not 
in  New  Orleans  on  the  2pth  of  June  last."  I  replied, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  239 

"  Permit  me  to  tell  you,  you  are  a  liar,  sir  !  "  At  this  he 
sprang  upon  me  and  struck  at  me. 

I  attempted  to  fend  the  blow,  and  at  the  same  time 
threw  my  foot  back  to  kick  him ;  but  his  arm  was  so 
heavy  and  the  blow  so  powerful  that  I  did  not  entirely 
escape.  He  struck  the  upper  part  of  my  forehead,  my 
head  striking  some  one  in  the  crowd.  Bringing  my  foot 
back  to  kick  him  threw  me  from  my  balance  and  made 
it  a  very  pretty  knockdown.  But  it  was  of  such  a 
nature  that  it  did  not  in  the  least  stun  me.  He  knew 
that  if  he  whipped  me  he  must  work  lively,  and  at  once 
bent  over  me,  and,  thrusting  his  hand  in  my  face,  at 
tempted  to  gouge  my  eye  out.  His  thumb  nail  missed 
my  eye  but  cut  my  eyebrow.  At  this  I  grabbed  his 
neck-tie  with  my  left  hand,  took  a  twist  and  sprang  up, 
raising  him  with  me,  and  when  we  struck  the  floor  again 
it  was  fourteen  feet  (by  measurement)  distant  through 
the  crowd. 

I  retained  my  grip  on  his  throat,  coming  on  top  of 
him;  but  he  had  thrown  his  immense  legs  tight  about  my 
loins  and  had  clutched  both  hands  tight  in  my  hair, 
where  he  held  me  as  in  a  vise,  while  my  right  hand  was 
at  liberty  until  it  was  all  stove  up.  (I  remember  they 
applied  oil  of  wormwood  after  the  fight,  to  take  the 
swelling  out.)  Finally  I  thought  to  myself,  I  can't  get  to 
strike  your  face  to  spoil  that,  but  I  will  mark  you  anyway. 
So  I  reached  up  and  clawed  down  his  face  a  couple  of 
times.  It  looked  very  badly  for  a  while.  At  this  stage 
of  the  game  I  found  his  hands  getting  very  loose  in  my 
hair,  and  some  one  in  the  crowd  said,  "  Take  Norton  off; 
see  how  black  Fred  is  in  the  face, "  when  a  man  by  the 
name  of  McMear  caught  a  fire-poker  and  declared  that 


240  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

he  would  kill  the  first  man  who  interfered;  that  Norton 
could  whale  Fred  the  best  day  he  ever  saw.  (Fred  had 
once  pounded  McMear  very  badly.)  I  continued  to 
choke  him;  his  hands  and  legs  had  become  quite  loose, 
and  I  was  about  to  spring  from  him  and  stamp  him  to 
pieces,  when  old  Uncle  Jimmie  Brown,  the  landlord 
(whom  no  one  would  strike),  exclaimed,  "  Take  him  off, 
he  is  killing  the  man." 

At  this  the  crowd  concluded  to  release  Fred.  They 
caught  hold  of  me  and  in  attempting  to  pull  me  off 
they  pulled  Fred  up  to  a  sitting  posture,  but  could  not 
get  my  hand  free  from  his  neck-tie;  so  they  procured  a 
knife  and  cut  the  tie,  and  after  throwing  a  few  pails  of 
water  over  him,  he  came  to,  and  evinced  himself  satis 
fied.  Though  a  powerful  man  myself,  I  look  upon  my 
victory  as  a  mere  accident,  as  I  could  not  compare  with 
him  in  physical  powers.  But  the  accident  had  its  effect. 
I  have  many  times  been  in  a  crowd  and  have  heard  men 
say,  "  That  is  the  man  who  whipped  Fred  J^ord." 

In  this  connection  I  may  add  that,  after  a  time,  Fred 
made  his  way  out  to  the  Missouri  River  and,  at  Traders' 
Point,  married  a  French  lady  who  was  possessed  of 
quite  a  fortune;  but  he  soon  went  through  with  that, 
and  when  I  was  on  my  way  to  California  I  stopped  a 
few  days  with  my  brother,  who  lived  but  a  short  distance 
from  Traders'  Point,  and  he  and  Fred  were  very  good 
friends.  My  brother  told  me  that  Fred  was  at  the  Point, 
and  was  in  company  with  a  big  half-breed  Indian  burn 
ing  lime;  that  he  had  often  expressed  a  desire  to  see  me, 
saying  that  I  had  served  him  right,  for  he  had  no  cause 
of  quarrel  with  me.  So  I  finally  decided  to  go  down  to 
the  Point  with  my  brother  and  call  on  Fred. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  241 

When  we  arrived  at  the  Point  and  inquired  for  him, 
some  of  his  crowd  said  he  had  been  gambling  the  night 
before  and  was  across  the  street  taking  a  sleep.  I  went 
over,  the  crowd  following  me.  (I  suppose  my  brother  had 
told  them  about  the  affair.)  I  found  him  fast  asleep, 
and  as  I  walked  up  to  him,  he  looked  like  a  great  giant. 
He  was  dressed  in  buckskin,  in  regular  frontiersman 
style,  with  a  revolver  and  knife  in  his  belt.  I  shook  him 
and  called  out,  •"  Fred."  He  awoke,  looked  me  full  in 
the  face  and  exclaimed,  "Lew  Norton,  by  G — d!"  He 
sprang  to  his  feet,  took  me  by  the  hand  and  said,  "  Here, 
boys,  is  the  only  man  that  ever  whaled  me;  and  no  man 
ever  deserved  it  more  than  I  did;  let's  go  and  take  a 

drink." 

» 

I  pursued  my  journey  to  California,  but  not  more 
than  three  weeks  after  the  occurrence  above  narrated, 
Fred  got  into  a  quarrel  with  and  whipped  his  half-breed 
partner.  The  next  day  afterward,  as  he  was  hauling 
limestone  to  the  kiln,  the  half-breed  secreted  himself  in 
the  brush  near  the  road,  with  an  old-fashioned  Yager, 
and  when  Fred  had  got  past  him  he  fired,  tearing  an 
enormous  hole  through  the  vitals  of  his  victim.  Fred 
turned  his  head  and  exclaimed,  "  D — n  you,  I  would 
make  you  pay  for  that  if  I  could  live  an  hour."  He 
then  fell  over  on  his  load  and  expired  in  a  few  minutes. 


242  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

THE   RESTORATION  OF  A   STOLEN   CORPSE. 

WHEN  I  returned  from  the  Mexican  War  I  had 
large  unsettled  accounts  with  the  United  States 
Government,  and  pending  the  settlement  I  entered  the 
law  office  of  W.  D.  Barry,  Esq.,  at  St.  Charles,  and  com 
menced  the  study  of  law.  During  my  absence  in  the 
service,  Dr.  Richards  had  established  his  medical  insti 
tute  at  St.  Charles,  and,  by  the  way,  from  that  establish 
ment  were  turned  out  some  of  the  most  eminent  practi 
tioners  of  our  day,  among  whom  are  Dr.  Boice,  of  Santa 
Rosa,  Dr.  Obed  Harvey,  and  others. 

I  had  heard  many  complaints  in  regard  to  resurrection 
ists  and  body-snatching  throughout  the  adjoining  coun 
try,  and  one  day  I  was  awakened  from  my  studies  by  a 
party  rushing  in  and  informing  me  that  Professor  Rich 
ards  and  John  Rood,  one  of  the  students,  had  been  shot 
by  a  mob,  or  company  of  riflemen  from  De  Kalb  County, 
numbering  about  eighty.  I  dropped  my  book  and,  on 
inquiry,  learned  that  a  young  married  woman,  the 
daughter  of  a  respected  farmer  by  the  name  of 
Churchill,  had  suddenly  died  in  full  flesh,  and  that  the 
body  had  been  stolen,  the  effect  of  which  was  to  craze 
the  mother  and  so  exasperate  the  father  and  his  neigh 
bors  that,  in  their  wrath,  they  had  armed  themselves  and, 
in  a  perfectly  organized  state,  had  marched  upon  the  in 
stitute  and  demanded  from  Richards  the  remains  of 
their  dead.  Richards  and  the  students  indignantly  de 
nied  having  the  remains,  or  knowing  aught  of  them. 
This  denial  was  anything  but  satisfactory  to  them,  al- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  243 

though  I  have  reasons  for  believing  that  Richards  did 
not  know  much  about  the  affair  at  the  time,  the  whole 
matter  having  been  a  little  private  enterprise  of  George 
Richards,  son  of  the  professor,  and  one  John  Rood,  a 
student. 

The  crowd,  however,  persisted  in  the  demand,  and  be 
came  very  clamorous,  while  Richards  and  Rood,  who 
stood  with  their  guns  in  their  hands  in  the  door,  became 
very  insolent,  Richards  telling  the  father  of  the  deceased 
that  if  they  did  not  leave  he  would  have  a  better  subject. 
At  this,  several  shots  were  fired  almost  simultaneously 
by  both  parties.  Richards  was  struck  by  a  riflj  ball  in 
the  right  hand,  while  his  shot-gun  was  still  raised,  the 
bullet  passing  through  just  below  the  knuckles,  out  at 
the  wrist,  and  then  penetrating  his  right  shoulder,  close 
to  the  chest.  Rood  was  also  struck  by  a  rifle  ball  on 
the  right  side,  the  ball  following  a  rib  round  to  the  back, 
not  entering  the  chest.  Rood  survived  five  or  six  days 
only,  the  concussion  having  caused  such  internal  injuries 
that  mortification  ended  the  chapter  of  his  life. 

On  my  arrival  upon  the  ground,  I  found  the  sheriff  of 
the  county  and  several  prominent  citizens  attempting 
to  quiet  the  then  exasperated  rioters,  who  were  deter 
mined  to  demolish  the  buildings,  and  amid  the  howl  and 
fury  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  be  heard.  Several  at 
tempts  having  been  made  by  the  sheriff  and  others  to 
calm  them,  I  saw  the  condition  of  things  at  a  glance, 
sprang  upon  a  horse-block  and,  after  several  efforts, 
succeeded  in  making  myself  heard.  I  told  them  that, 
as  citizens,  we  deeply  felt  and  acknowledged  the  outrage 
that  had  been  committed,  and  that  they  had  our  fullest 
sympathy;  that  we  were  ready  and  willing,  in  every 


244  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

legitimate  manner,  to  aid  them  in  prosecuting  the  search 
for  the  body;  but  we  could  not,  and  would  not,  suffer 
them  to  go  into  the  destruction  of  property  to  gratify 
revenge.  I  then  said,  "  I  have  this  proposition  to  make 
you:  select  from  your  body  a  committee  of  five  to  search 
the  premises,  and  every  bolt  and  bar  shall  yield  to  your 
touch,  and  if  the  body  is  here  you  surely  can  find  it." 
From  the  crowd  there  was  a  universal  acclaim  that  the 
proposition  was  fair.  They  selected  their  committee.  I 
called  Professor  Hall,  son-in-law  of  Richards,  to  bring 
the  keys  of  the  establishment.  The  sheriff,  Hall,  and 
myself  went  through  the  whole  establishment,  prosecut 
ing  the  most  vigilant  search,  not  neglecting  out-build 
ings,  barns,  and  stables,  but  nothing  was  to  be  found. 
The  day  was  now  far  advanced.  The  search  was  aban 
doned  and  the  crowd  retired.  The  institution  was  broken 
up  and  Richards  was  removed  to  Chicago;  but  this  did 
not  end  the  excitement.  The  public  press  was  full  of 
reports  and  comments  and  dire  vengeance  was  threatened 
to  all  who  were  suspected  of  having  a  hand  in  the  out 
rage.  On  the  other  hand,  Richards  had  at  once  com 
menced  suit  for  damages,  and  retained  W.  D.  Barry,  my 
preceptor,  as  counsel.  All  this  had  occurred  in  less 
than  a  week  from  the  time  of  the  outrage,  when  one  day 
Judge  Barry  came  into  the  office,  evidently  with  some 
thing  on  his  mind.  He  walked  the  floor  for  a  few  min 
utes,  when  he  suddenly  turned  to  me  and  said,  "Norton, 
I  know  your  sympathy  is  with  those  people.  Now  I  will 
give  you  a  chance  to  show  it.  You  have  been  to  the 
wars  and  have  seen  many  men  killed  and  have  had  much 
to  do  with  dead  folks.  I  want  to  restore  that  body,  but  I 
have  not  the  nerve  to  do  it.  You  are  a  clerk  in  the  office 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  245 


and  they  cannot  put  you  upon  the  stand  as  a  witness. 
I  have  made  every  preparation;  will  you  do  it?" 

I  unhesitatingly  agreed  to  do  anything  that  I  could 
to  restore  the  body.  He  then  gave  me  these  instruc 
tions.  "At  twelve  o'clock  to-night,  go  to  a  certain  point 
[describing  it]  in  town,  and  you  will  find  a  span  of 
horses  and  a  spring-wagon,  with  a  shovel  in  the  wagon. 
Take  the  horses  and  first  drive  to  Geneva  [this  was  a 
town  two  miles  below,  on  Fox  River];  go  to  Danforth's 
shop,  where  two  men  will  bring  you  a  coffin.  You  need 
not  speak.  Then  drive  to  Cedar  Bluff  [describing  the 
point],  where  you  will  hitch  the  horses.  On  examin  .- 
tion,  you  will  see  the  white  bones  of  a  horse's  head  at 
the  commencement  of  a  path,  and  strewn  along  the 
path,  you  will  find  white  bones  until  it  leads  you  through 
the  woods,  to  the  head  of  a  ravine,  near  Otto  Perkins' 
fence;  thence  follow  down  the  ravine  about  three-fourths 
of  a  mile,  where  you  will  find  the  tops  of  the  bushes  all 
broken  in  toward  each  other.  There  dig." 

At  midnight  I  was  at  the  point,  found  the  horses 
hitched,  untied  them,  drove  to  Geneva,  and  to  Danforth's 
shop.  Two  men  emerged  from  the  shop,  carrying  a 
coffin.  They  placed  it  in  the  wagon  without  a  word.  I 
glanced  at  it  and  saw  that  the  lid  was  screwed  down, 
when  I  remarked,  "  Bring  a  screw-driver."  One  of 
them  soon  returned  and  placed  a  screw-driver  in  the 
wagon,  when,  without  another  word,  I  drove  back  to 
Cedar  Bluff,  where  I  hitched  the  horses*,  and  soon  found 
the  horse's  skull,  with  other  marks  indicating  my  path 
through  the  woods.  I  followed  it  with  the  shovel  on  my 
back.  I  do  not  remember  whether  I  whistled  to  keep 
up  my  courage  or  not;  but  as  I  am  a  poor  whistler  and 


246  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


a  worse  singer,  I  probably  kept  silent.  I  found  the 
white  bones,  as  Barry  had  told  me,  which  I  followed  until 
I  reached  the  head  of  a  dark  gulch,  the  one  referred  to  in 
my  instructions  ;'thence  down  through  the  tangled  brush 
and  underwood  until  I  came  to  the  spot  indicated, 
where  the  bushes  were  all  broken  in  towards  each  other. 
There  was  no  moon,  but  a  starlight  night.  Owing  to 
the  thick  woods  and  heavy  foliage  overhead,  it  was  very 
dark.  When  I  commenced  digging,  I  found  the  bed  of 
the  gulch  very  wet  and  muddy.  I  had  not  prosecuted 
my  labors  very  long,  until  my  shovel  struck  something 
yielding.  I  cleaned  the  dirt  away  as  well  as  I  could, 
put  my  hand  down  an  J  got  hold  of  a  sack.  I  pulled  it 
out,  found  that  it  contained  the  body,  shut  up  like  a 
jack-knife,  having  the  limbs  from  the  hips  bent  forward 
so  that  the  face  and  feet  were  together.  I  took  the 
body  from  the  sack  and  found  that  the  oozy  mud  had 
settled  all  over  it.  I  wiped  it  off  as  best  I  could,  shoul 
dered  it,  and  made  my  way  back  to  Cedar  Bluff. 
There  was  a  small  creek  of  pure  water,  and  I  washed 
the  body  clean  I  found  that  they  had  cut  through  the 
skin  and  flesh  on  the  forehead  and  skinned  it  down  till 
it  fell  like  a  flap  over  the  eyes.  I  placed  it  back  as 
smoothly  as  I  could,  preparatory  to  putting  it  into  the 
coffin;  but  here  was  a  dilemma!  No  one  had  thought 
of  a  shroud,  and  I  could  not  think  of  placing  the  body 
in  the  coffin  in  a  nude  state.  While  revolving  the  mat 
ter  in  my  mind,  I*  happened  to  think  of  my  outer  shirt. 
I  at  once  pulled  it  off  and  put  it  on  the  corpse.  I  then 
gathered  some  moss,  placed  it  in  the  coffin  for  a  pillow, 
placed  the  body  in  the  coffin,  screwed  down  the  lid,  and 
drove  the  wagon  back  where  I  found  it,  according  to 
directions. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  247 

Now,  I  do  not  believe  that  I  am  more  cowardly  than 
most  of  the  human  family,  and  probably  as  far  removed 
from  superstition  as  any  one;  but  when  I  found  myself 
away  in  the  woods,  in  the  depth  of  night,  with  all  its 
surrounding  gloom,  trudging  along  with  a  cold,  clammy 
corpse  on  my  back,  I  plead  guilty  to  having  felt  a  kind 
of  involuntary  shudder  pass  over  me,  an  undefined 
something — not  fear,  but  a  species  of  desolation  and  awe 
wholly  indescribable. 

As  I  started  in  to  give  a  simple  recital  of  facts,  I 
have  wandered  a  little;  but  please  excuse  the  digression- 
After  hitching  the  horses  where  I  found  them,  I  pushed 
on  toward  home,  but  could  not  repress  my  curiosity  to 
dodge  around  a  corner  and  watch  to  see  what  would  be 
come  of  the  wagon.  I  saw  a  man  unhitch  the  horses 
and  drive  through  Fox  River  at  the  ford,  making  his 
way  west  in  the  direction  of  the  home  of  the  dis 
tressed  parents  and  friends  of  the  deceased.  I  re 
turned  home  and  thought  I  would  slip  into  bed  and  that 
my  wife  would  not  discover  the  missing  shirt;  but  not 
so.  She  threw  her  arm  over  me  and  exclaimed,  "  Oh! 
my  God,  Lewis;  what  has  become  cf  your  shirt!  "  I  was 
compelled  to  deceive  her  and  pretend  that  I  had  been 
out  fishing;  that  it  had  caught  fire  and  I  had  to  tear  it 
off. 

Two  days  elapsed,  when  news  came  from  De  Kalb 
County  that  the  missing  body  had  been  restored;  that  it 
was  found  in  a  coffin,  sitting  on  the  father's  porch,  and 
that  there  was  great  rejoicing.  But  there  was  one  feat 
ure  they  could  not  understand — the  body  had  a  man's 
shirt  on,  for  a  shroud!  The  friends  proposed  to  remove 
it,  and  put  a  different  shroud  on  the  corpse  before  the 


248  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

interment;  but  the  mother  interposed  and  exclaimed, 
"  No!  no!  the  hand  that  placed  it  there  was  a  friendly 
hand,  and  it  will  be  a  charm  that  will  protect  my  child." 
When  my  wife  heard  the  story,  she  remarked  to  me, 
"That,  my  dear,  was  your  shirt;  and  had  they  removed 
it,  they  would  have  found  your  name  on  the  bottom  of 
it."  There  are  many  living,  doubtless,  even  in  this 
State,  who  knew  of  the  occurrence  and  have  often  heard 
the  query,  "Who  restored  the  body?"  and,  as  it  is  no 
longer  a  secret,  and  after  the  lapse  of  a  third  of  a  cent 
ury,  I  give  the  world  the  facts. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

DEPARTURE   FOR   CALIFORNIA. 

I  CONTINUED  reading  law  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Illinois,  before  Trum- 
ble,  Treat,  and  John  Dean  Caton.  At  this  time  my  wife's 
health  was  so  poor  that  she  remained  with  her  mother 
constantly.  A  household  counsel  was  called,  and  it  was 
finally  arranged  that  I  should  let  her  remain  with  her 
mother.  I  divided  my  property  with  her,  paid  for  a  di 
vorce,  and  prepared  to  leave  for  California.  (This  was 
my  second  trip,  the  first  being  uneventful.) 

Before  leaving  for  Mexico  my  wife's  uncle  came  to  me 
and,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  said,  "  I  have  to  ask  a  favor 
of  you,  and  I  hate  to  do  it,  as  I  know  how  much  you 
have  lost  by  assisting  your  friends;  but  I  was  sued  in 
the  circuit  court,  have  there  lost  my  case,  and  want  to 
appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court.  I  have  a  meritorious  de 
fense  to  the  action,  and  am  assured  by  my  attorney  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  249 

I  can  beat  the  case,  and  you  shall  never  lose  a  dollar  by 
me  if  I  have  to  sell  the  last  thing  I  have  to  pay  up.  I 
went  on  his  bonds  and  paid  no  attention  to  the  case 
after. 

Now  I  had  paid  every  cent  that  I  was  indebted,  had 
started  my  teams  a  week  before,  and  had  told  every 
body  that  I  should  start  myself  the  next  Thursday,  when 
I  was  brought  up  standing  by  an  officer  serving  me  with 
a  summons — suit  brought  upon  the  appeal  bo*nd.  I 
went  immediately  to  Howard  and  asked  him  what  it 
meant,  reminding  him  of  his  promise.  He  assured  me 
that  he  meant  all  that  he  had  promised,  and  in  order  to 
protect  his  bondsmen  had  turned  over  all  his  property 
exempt  from  forced  sale  to  Dearborn,  the  sheriff,  to 
pay  judgment  and  costs  of  suit. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  Democratic  Convention  at 
Springfield,  the  State  capital,  about  eighty  miles  distant, 
ana  the  sheriff,  county  judge,  and  in  fact  nearly  all  the 
county  officers,  were  in  attendance  as  delegates.  Howard 
claimed  to  feel  very  badly  over  the  matter,  while  Farns- 
worth,  the  opposing  attorney,  gave  me  to  understand  that 
unless  I  settled  the  matter  before  leaving,  a  State's  war 
rant  would  be  issued  against  me  for  leaving  the  State 
without  paying  my  debts.  The  county  judge  being 
absent,  they  would  of  course  hold  me  a  prisoner  until 
he  returned,  which  would  be  about  ten  days,  when  I 
could  be  released  by  showing  that  I  was  leaving  an 
abundance  of  property  to  pay  any  judgment  which  they 
might  obtain  against  me.  I  refused  to  pay  the  debt  of 
Howard,  and  they  swore  out  a  bench  warrant.  Howard 
went  to  Farnsworth  and  stated  his  arrangement  with 
the  sheriff,  and  asked  him  not  to  proceed  against  me. 
17 


250  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

His  reply  was  that  I  had  the  money,  and  he  intended 
to  make  me  pay  it  before  I  left.  Howard  reported  to 
me  what  Farnsworth  said,  and  I  told  him  to  pay  no 
further  attention  to  the  matter;  that  I  should  leave 
Thursday  at  noon,  and  that,  unfortunately  for  Mr.  Farns 
worth,  there  were  not  men  enough  in  St.  Charles  to 
arrest  me.  I  sent  a  similar  notice  to  Farnsworth. 

The  affair  was  generally  talked  of,  and  I  had  the  sym 
pathy  of  the  community.  I  then  went  to  Randal,  the 
under-sheriff,  and  said,  "  Randal,  I  have  lived  among 
you  for  twelve  years  and  have  tried  to  be  a  good  citizen ; 
a  child  could  at  any  time  have  arrested  me.  Now  you 
hold  papers  for  my  arrest,  but  this  is  such  a  bare- faced 
imposition  that  I  will  never  submit  to  an  arrest  on  the 
warrant  you  hold  while  I  have  life  to  resist,  so  do  not 
attempt  it."  He  replied,  "  Captain,  if  that  is  your  reso 
lution,  I  am  sick."  Farnsworth  then  went  to  Geneva, 
the  county  seat,  and  got  two  deputy  sheriffs  to  come  up 
to  arrest  me.  They  called  on  Randal  for  the  papers, 
but,  after  some  conversation  with  him,  they  were  taken 
suddenly  ill  and  did  not  make  the  attempt. 

Time  passed  on  until  Thursday  noon,  when  I  mounted 
my  horse,  in  full  uniform,  my  sword  by  my  side  and  my 
pistols  in  the  holsters,  and  rode  around  town,  taking 
leave  of  my  friends.  I  then  turned  my  horse's  head  to 
the  west,  rode  across  Fox  River,  and  ascended  the  hill 
on  the  west  side.  As  I  passed  Mr.  Farnsworth's  office 
(now  General  Farnsworth)  he  was  standing  in  the  door. 
I  raised  my  cap  and  said,  "Good-by,  Farnsworth;  I  told 
you  I  should  leave  to-day  at  twelve  o'clock."  He  said, 
"  Then  you  are  really  going?  Good-by,  and  God  bless 
you!"  When  on  top  of  the  hill,  which  commanded  a 


COLONEL  L.«  A.  NORTON.  251 

fine  view  of  the  town,  I  sat  upon  my  horse  and  waved 
my  handkerchief  to  my  friends  who  stood  watching  me 
from  street  corners  and  balconies,  and  then  pursued  my 
journey. 

I  had  rode  less  than  a  mile  when  I  noticed  a  couple 
of  men  on  horseback,  loitering  along  the  road  ahead  of 
me.  I  immediately  recognized  them;  they  were  two 
constables — one,  Orange  Bayard,  whom  I  had  rendered 
many  essential  services;  the  other's  name  I  do  not  re 
member.  I  readily  comprehended  their  business.  I 
spurred  up  my  horse  and  rode  up  between  them,  and  as 
I  approached  them  I  said,  "How  are  you,  gentlemen? 
Well,  Orange,  which  way  are  you  bound  to-day?"  He 
replied,  "  We  are  going  out  into  the  Bur  settlement." 
I  said,  "  Are  you  not  afraid  to  ride  unprotected  in  this 
murderous  country?"  to  which  they  returned  rather  a 
cynical  laugh. 

Now  my  road,  in  a  short  distance  from  where  we'  were, 
turned  to  the  right  and  theirs  to  the  left.  I  said,  "  As 
you  are  friends  of  mine  I  will  ride  over  to  the  Bur  set 
tlement  with  you,  and  protect  you;  but  I  wish  you  to 
keep  a  little  in  advance.  So  I  rode  with  them  five  or 
six  miles  to  the  Bur  settlement  to  where  there  was  a  by 
road  which  led  across  the  country  and  joined  my  road, 
some  distance  ahead.  I  said,  "  Now,  gentlemen,  I  think 
you  are  safe,  but  you  ride  on  and  I  will  wait  here  a  few 
minutes  and  watch  to  see  that  no  harm  befalls  you,  when 
I  shall  go  my  own  way,  as  I  am  bound  for  California." 
I  waited  until  they  had  rode  beyond  all  danger  to  me, 
when  I  sped  swiftly  along  on  my  own  route,  and  in  a 
couple  of  hours  joined  my  company. 


252  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

THE  JOURNEY   AS    FAR   AS   CARSON    VALLEY. 

1HAD  two  four-horse  wagons,  and  our  party  organ 
ized,  calling  ourselves  the  "Rough  and  Ready  Com 
pany,"  of  which  I  was  unanimously  elected  captain.  We 
pushed  along  all  right  to  the  Missouri  River  without  any 
serious  difficulty.  But  on  arriving  at  Traders'  Point, 
where  we  were  to  cross  the  river,  we  found  an  immense 
crowd  waiting  transportation  across  the  stream.  There 
was  but  one  small  scow,  which  would  only  convey  a  sin 
gle  wagon  at  a  time,  and  at  that  rate  it  would  take  about 
six  weeks  to  ferry  the  crowd  across  tie  river.  But  the 
man  (Stokes  by  name)  who  owned  the  boat  entered  into 
an  agreement  with  us  that  he- would,  with  our  aid,  build 
another  boat,  and  my  company  was  to  be  crossed  first. 
There  was  also  a  large  Missourian  company  with  ox- 
teams  waiting,  and  I  noticed  that  they  were  also  work 
ing  on  a  new  boat;  and  at  length  it  leaked  out  that 
Stokes  was  playing  us  falsely,  and  had  made  the  same 
promise  to  the  Missourians  that  he  had  to  us.  Ours 
was  but  a  small  company,  thirteen  wagons,  and  we  said 
nothing,  but  kept  to  work.  The  boat  was  completed 
and  launched,  and  before  it  was  through  its  oscillations 
I  sprang  into  the  stern  and  seized  the  rudder.  My  men, 
who  understood  the  situation,  sprang  into  the  boat  with 
their  poles,  and  I  gave  the  order  to  shove  down  to  a 
second  landing  (only  a  few  yards)  where  one  of  our 
wagons  was  ready  to  come  aboard.  All  was  so  well 
arranged  that  before  the  other  party  was  aware,  our  first 
wagon  was  on  the  boat,  and  we  ran  across  the  river  and 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  253 

landed  it.  Returning,  we  ran  up  to  the  landing  to 
receive  another  wagon,  when  to  my  surprise  there  was  a 
big  Missouri  wagon,  with  a  crowd  of  men  ready  to  run 
it  aboard.  They  had  driven  our  men  and  wagon  aside 
intending  to  put  their  company  across  ahead  of  ours. 
The  wagon  contained  sixty  hundred  weight  of  corn,  for 
feed  on  the  plains,  and  as  it  came  rushing  down  the 
bank,  I  exclaimed,  "  Push  off,  boys  !  "  They  did  so,  and 
as  the  boat  moved  out  of  the  way,  the  wagon  plunged 
into  the  river. 

I  called  to  our  boys  on  the  bank  to  bring  a  wagon  to 
the  other  landing.  They  did  so;  but  before  we  got  it 
on  the  boat  a  crowd  from  the  Missouri  company  came 
to  take  possession  of  the  boat,  and  a  powerful-looking 
young  man,  who  claimed  that  I,  as  commissary,  had 
issued  him  rations  in  Mexico,  was  at  the  head.  I  took 
my  position  near  the  bow  of  the  boat,  and  told  the  par 
ties  to  keep  off;  that  we  had  an  arrangement  with  Stokes 
that  we  should  be  the  first  to  cross  on  the  new  boat, 
when  Red-shirt  gave  me  the  lie.  Somehow  his  foot 
slipped  and  he  fell  on  the  side  of  the  boat.  The  next 
moment  I  felt  some  one  buckling  a  belt  around  me,  and 
I  discovered  a  revolver  in  one  side  and  a  knife  in  the 
other.  I  raised  the  revolver,  and  fully  persuaded  the 
crowd  to  stand  back  until  the  boys  could  run  the  wagon 
on  the  boat. 

As  my  red-shirted  friend  stepped  overboard,  I  looked 
around  to  see  if  I  was  alone  in  the  muss,  when  I  saw 
Sponable  and  J.  L.  Mack,  who  were  both  powerful  men. 
As  I  looked  around,  they  exclaimed,  "  Give  them  h — 1, 
Cap.,  we  are  here. "  I  stood  to  the  helm  all  that  night,  and 
the  next  day  until  ten  o'clock,  when  our  wagons  were  all 


254  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

landed.  I  then  restored  the  boat  to  Stokes,  and  paid 
him  a  dollar  apiece  for  ferriage  of  the  wagons,  which  I 
should  not  have  done,  as  his  duplicity  got  us  all  into 
trouble. 

Now  all  went  well  with  us  until,  far  out  on  the  plains, 
they  began  to  find  fault  with  me  as  captain  of  the  train. 
And  it  was  not  long  until  there  was  not  a  man,  woman, 
or  child  but  what  knew  more  about  encamping  and  camp- 
life  generally  than  I  did.  There  was  constant  quarrel 
ing  and  bickering  among  them,  with  innumerable  lies, 
which  prejudiced  them  one  against  another  until  the 
best  of  friends  were  ready  to  fight.  At  length  we  over 
took  some  Dutchmen,  with  several  head  of  cattle,  and 
the  Indians  were  hanging  on  their  flank-.  These  men, 
for  some  cause,  had  been  separated  from  their  company; 
I  have  forgotten  how  it  happened,  but  I  saw  that  the 
Indians  intended  to  rob  and  probably  murder  them.  I 
told  them  that  I  would  regulate  our  travel  to  their  pace 
until  they  could  fall  in  with  some  other  company,  or  to 
a  place  where  it  was  safe  for  them  to  encamp  until  they 
should  be  overtaken  by  ox-teams. 

This  proposition  met  with  a  most  stubborn  opposition 
by  my  company.  Some  asserted  that  I  was  crazy,  to 
take  those  Dutchmen  on  my  back,  and  others  proposed 
to  depose  me  and  elect  a  man  by  the  name  of  White, 
who  had  crossed  the  plains  before.  I  was  indignant  to 
think  that  my  company  wanted  to  leave  the  unprotected 
men  to  their  iate,  and  told  them  to  go  on,  if  they  were 
disposed  to  do  so,  but  I  would  remain  with  the  Dutch 
men  and  share  their  fate. 

We  continued  our  journey  for  two  days,  when  I  think 
they  had  decided  to  elect  White  that  night,  and  the  next 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  255 

day  to  push  on  and  leave  me  and  the  Dutchmen.  But 
about  noon  we  came  to  Shell  Creek,  where  we  found 
about  three  hundred  Indians  gathered  on  the  bank  of 
the  Platte  River.  We  had  to  cross  Shell  Creek  near  its 
junction  with  the  river,  where  there  was  quite  a  grove  of 
cotton  woods  along  the  banks  of  the  creek.  The  prin 
cipal  band  of  Indians  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek, 
between  where  we  had  to  cross  and  the  river,  while  the 
squaws  were  further  along  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 
About  seventy  or  eighty  Indians  had  swung  to  the  rear 
of  our  company,  thus  completely  hemming  us  in.  I 
saw  that  they  meant  mischief,  as  their  bows  were  all 
strung  and  the  wipers  were  out  of  their  rifles. 

White's  team  was  in  advance,  and  some  of  the  chiefs 
stopped  him,  and  said  they  wanted  toll  for  going 
through  their  country.  White  gave  them  five  or  six 
dollars  and  they  let  him  go  on,  which  he  did,  and  kept 
going.  The  next  one  was  Fred  Parker.  The  Indian 
said,  "  Me  chief;  me  want  money."  Parker  replied, 
pointing  to  me,  "  That  is  our  chief;  go  to  him  if  you 
want  money."  I  was  dressed  in  uniform  as  a  United 
States  officer,  and  rode  with  my  sword  on,  and  my  pistols 
in  the  holsters.  I  did  this  at  the  request  of  the  com 
pany,  as  the  Indians  had  great  respect  for  army 
officers.  The  chief  started  to  make  his  demands 
on  me,  when  I  drew  my  sword  and  charging  to  the 
rear  ordered  the  Indians,  who  were  closing  in  upon  us, 
to  leave  the  road  and  take  to  the  river  bank,  when 
their  spokesman,  in  fair  English,  told  me  that  they  had 
as  good  a  right  to  travel  the  road  as  I  had. 

At  this  I  called  to  the  company  in  advance  to  seize 
their  rifles,  and  form  in  line.  At  the  same  time  I 
whipped  out  a  pistol,  rode  right  up  to  the  Indians,  and 


256  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

told  them  to  leave  the  road  or  I  would  fire.  They 
reluctantly  moved  off  to  the  river.  I  then  charged  back 
to  the  front  and  met  the  chief,  who  handed  me  a  paper 
(extorted,  doubtless,  from  some  one)  stating  that  he  was 
a  good  chief.  I  threw  his  paper  on  the  ground,  told 
him  we  had  given  them  corn  in  payment  for  the  right 
to  go  through  their  country  (which  was  true),  and  that 
they  were  forked-tongued,  bad  Indians,  and  then  ordered 
him  to  the  rear  of  our  wagons.  He  refused  to  go,  upon 
which  I  welted  him  across  the  shoulders  with  the  flat  of 
my  sword,  which  made  Mr.  Indian  move  as  directed. 
When  I  had  started  him  I  rode  right  in  among  the  band, 
and,  with  the  flat  of  my  sword,  drove  them  like  a  flock 
of  sheep  to  the  rear.  All  this  time  I  had  thirty  men  in 
line  with  cocked  rifles.  I  expected  to  be  killed,  but  I 
knew  it  was  the  only  chance  to  save  the  company. 
When  I  had  driven  them  across  Shell  Creek,  I  ordered 
the  wagons  to  advance,  keeping  a  rear  guard  to  protect 
us  until  we  got  out  of  the  way  of  the  Shell  Creek 
Indians.  Late  in  the  afternoon  we  overtook  White,  and 
that  night  we  encamped  in  a  short  loop  of  the  Platte, 
where  I  could  defend  our  position,  with  our  wagons 
drawn  up  in  front  as  breastworks.  There  was  no  talk 
of  an  election  of  a  new  captain  that  night,  nor  did  I 
ever  hear  the  subject  mentioned  afterwards.  But  our 
valiant  would-be  captain,  White,  became  the  butt  of  the 
company. 

We  continued  our  weary  march  across  the  plains  with 
the  usual  experiences  that  have  been  written  and  re 
written,  and  in  the  course  of  time  we  reached  Carson 
Valley,  poor  and  jaded — that  is  to  say,  those  of  us  who 
were  not  left  on  the  desert  to  feed  the  wolves  and  buz 
zards. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  257 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 

RELIEF  TRAIN — A  FRIGHT — CROSSING  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

WE  had  passed  the  sink  of  the  Carson  River  and 
were  proceeding  up  that  stream,  when  we  came  to 
an  encampment  in  a  very  pleasant  valley,  and  on  inquiry 
learned  that  it  was  a  relief  train  sent  out  from  California 
to  aid  the  immigration.  We  encamped  but  a  short  dis 
tance  from  the  relief  train,  and  I  walked  over  to  the 
camp  to  make  some  inquiries  regarding  their  object  and 
the  nature  of  their  supplies.  I  was  soon  introduced  to 
Gen.  James  Estel,  who  I  learned  was  first  in  command. 
I  found  him  very  affable,  and  apparently  ready  and  will 
ing  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  aid  immigrants.  The  sup 
plies,  he  informed  me,  were  intended  for  those  who  had 
no  money  to  purchase  what  they  needed. 

He  then  introduced  me  to  Gen.  J.  W.  Denver,  General 
Price,  and  some  others  holding  subordinate  positions. 
I  then  informed  him  that  we  could  not  claim  to  be  with 
out  funds,  yet  we  needed  some  articles  for  the  use  of 
some  of  our  party  who  were  sick,  for  which  I  was  ready 
and  willing  to  pay.  General  Estel  said,  "  We  cannot 
take  pay,  but  that  is  all  right;  make  out  your  requisition." 
I  said,  "General,  shall  I  make  my  requisition  in  bulk  or 
by  ration?"  He  replied,  "  Oh,  make  it  out  in  detail."  I 
went  to  camp  and  made  a  regular  requisition  in  accord 
ance  with  the  regulations  of  the  United  States  army,  as 
follows:  Twenty  men,  ten  days'  tea,  200;  twenty  men, 
ten  days'  coffee,  200;  twenty  men,  ten  days'  sugar,  200— 
and  so  on  until  the  requisition  was  filled.  I  chose  Will 
iam  Brophey,  a  shrewd  fellow,  and  told  him  to  take  a 


258  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

team  and  go  down  to  the  supply  camp  and  give  my  requi 
sition  to  General  Estel  and  mark  what  occurred.  In 
about  two  hours  Brophey  returned,  and  made  his  report 
as  follows: — 

"  I  presented  your  requisition  to  General  Estel  as  you 
directed.  He  took  it  and  commenced  reading,  'Twenty 
men,  ten  days'  tea,  total  two  hundred  pounds;  coffee, 
twenty  men,  ten  days,  total  two  hundred  pounds;'  and 
so  on  through  the  requisition,  reading  all  pounds.  Fi 
nally  the  old  general  said,  'I  don't  understand  this;  take 
it  to  General  Denver.'  I  handed  it  to  General  Denver, 
who<  it  seems  was  issuing  commissary,  and  he  read  it  the 
same  as  General  Estel, — instead  of  number  of  rations, 
as  carried  out,  he  read  it  all  pounds.  But  they  were 
puzzled  to  know  why  you  had  put  all  two  hundred  pounds 
—tea,  coffee,  pickles,  and  potatoes.  They  called  in 
General  Price;  he  read  it  the  same.  They  finally  said  to 
me,  Ts  your  captain  a  military  man  ?  '  I  informed  them 
he  was;  that  he  had  served  almost  fourteen  months  in 
Mexico,  and  then  added,  '  I  think  the  captain  intends 
the  two  hundred  at  the  right  hand  as  the  total  number 
of  rations,  and  not  pounds.'  General  Estel  said,  'Ah! 
yes,  yes,  I  understand  it;  twenty  men,  ten  days,  two 
hundred  rations;  yes,  yes,  that's  all  right;  General  Denver, 
issue  the  rations.'  " 

General  Denver  did  issue  the  rations,  and  in  addition, 
I  received  a  very  polite  note  from  General  Estel,  saying 
that  they  had  issued  on  my  requisition,  but  they  were 
sorry  that,  owing  to  their  limited  means,  they  were  not 
able  to  fill  it.  And  now  the  cream  of  the  joke  was,  they 
had  issued  at  least  four  times  what  my  requisition  called 
for;  thus  proving  to  my  satisfaction  that  the  military 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  259 

lights  of  California,  whatever  they  might  be  in  other 
respects,  did  not  know  the  value  of  a  regulation  ration. 
In  after  time  I  had  lots  of  fun  with  Estel  regarding  the 
commissary  department  of  his  expedition  for  the  relief 
of  immigrants  on  the  plains,  in  1852.  But  the  next 
year,  in  Sacramento  City,  we  compromised  the  ration 
business.  I  was  never  to  tell  the  story  on  him,  and  he 
was  to  treat  whenever  we  met. 

We  rested  a  few  days  where  we  met  the  relief  train, 
and  continued  our  journey.  Nothing  of  importance 
occurred  until  we  reached  the  lower  end  of  Carson 
Valley,!  think  it  wasthe  first  dayoutfrom  Mormon  Gulch, 
.when  I  got  about  the  greatest  fright  of  my  life.  We 
found  several  camps  in  the  valley  where  there  were 
wounded  men,  whose  wounds  had  been  inflicted  by  In 
dians  in  their  attacks  on  immigrants.  From  them  we 
learned  that  the  Indians  were  very  hostile  in  the  valley, 
and  also  learned  that  the  attacks  had  been  made  from 
the  willows  and  timber  growing  along  the  banks  of  the 
river. 

Now  the  only  grass  for  our  stock  was  in  the  valley 
lying  along  the  river,  and  the  stock  must  have  feed;  we 
were  compelled  to  let  our  teams  graze  there  or  they 
would  starve.  We  turned  them  out  about  sunset  to 
graze  for  the' night.  But  when  I  called  for  volunteers 
to  guard  the  stock  next  to  the  river,  I  could  not  find  a 
man  who  was  willing  to  take  that  dangerous  position. 
I  finally  told  the  men  that  I  would  take  that  post  myself. 
Accordingly  I  repaired  to  the  spot,  and  continued  to 
march  between  the  stock  and  the  brush,  with  my  holster 
pistols.  The  animals  were  scattered  along  the  valley  for 
about  half  a  mile,  and  I  concluded  to  march  up  and 
down  between  them  and  the  brush  until  midnight. 


260  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

In  making  my  beat  I  returned  to  the  lower  end,  where 
I  found  that  some  of  the  horses  were  close  to  the  edge 
of  the  brush.  I  went  around  to  start  them  back,  when 
all  of  a  sudden  I  saw  the  willows  commence  shaking 
and  bending  right  in  front  of  me.  My  first  thought,  of 
course,  was  Indians.  I  cocked  my  pistols,  presented 
them  at  the  point  of  commotion,  and  commenced  run 
ning  backwards,  expecting  momentarily  to  feel  the  point 
of  an  arrow.  Presently  I  struck  my  heel  against  a  little 
hillock  and  keeled  over  on  the  ground.  I  did  not  attempt 
to  rise,  but  kept  my  eyes  steadily  fixed  on  the  brush. 
But  the  shaking  of  the  brush  soon  stopped,  and  I  saw 
one  of  my  horses  walking  out  onto  the  open  ground. 
In  an  instant  I  recognized  the  cause  of  my  fright.  To 
the  horse  was  attached  a  long  lariat,  which  had  got 
caught  in  the  willows,  causing  the  commotion.  I  got  up, 
and  after  thinking  over  my  ludicrous  position,  I  had  to 
laugh  over  the  farce,  but  thought  I  would  keep  it  to  my 
self.  The  next  morning  I  was  congratulated  by  my  men 
on  having  my  scalp-lock  preserved;  but  the  joke  was  too 
good  to  keep,  and  in  a  few  days  I  related  my  adventure, 
which  caused  great  merriment  in  camp. 

We  continued  our  journey  to  the  upper  end  of  the 
valley,  where  there  were  some  settlers.  Here  I  found 
Captains  Bolch  and  Parker,  with  a  drove  of  cattle  which 
they  had  brought  across  the  plains;  and  they  had  en 
camped  to  rest  the  stock.  I  made  an  arrangement  with 
them  to  leave  my  teams  and  wagons  in  their  care,  and 
took  my  riding-horse  and  joined  a  company  of  horse 
men  to  cross  the  mountains  to  California  by  way  of  old 
Emigrant  Canon,  where  hundreds  of  wagons  had  passed. 
And  such  a  road!  Many  places  the  wagons  had  to  be 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  261 

lifted  over  big  bowlders,  three  or  four  feet  high.  After 
getting  through  the  canon  proper,  we  reached  a  lovely 
valley,  through  which  a  beautiful  mountain  stream 
flowed,  one  of  the  sources  of  Carson  River.  The  valley 
was  a  regular  amphitheater,  the  mountain  walls  reaching 
nearly  three-fourths  of  ths  way  around  it.  All  was 
green  and  beautiful  in  the  valley,  while  the  lofty  range 
that  surrounds  it  was  capped  in  perpetual  snow. 

I  wandered  up  a  small  stream  at  the  east  end  of  the 
valley,  where  I  discovered  immense  deposits  of  marble. 
The  marble  bowlders  in  the  head  of  the  stream  had  been 
washed  for  ages  by  the  water  as  it  had  been  poured 
upon  them  by  the  rushing  mountain  torrent,  until  they 
had  received  a  polish  that  could  not  be  surpassed  by  the 
most  ingenious  workman,  bringing  to  view  all  their 
inherent  beauties.  Whether  the  quarry  has  since  been 
utilized  or  not,  I  have  never  learned. 

From  this  place  we  wended  our  way  up  a  steep  mount 
ain  until  we  reached  the  summit  of  the  Sierras.  We  had 
passed  the  summit  but  a  short  distance  when  we  came 
into  an  immense  field  of  small  red  flowers,  many  of  them 
just  peeping  upthrough  the  snow.  I  mention  this  because 
these  hardy  little  plants  were  the  only  things,  save  the 
mountain  forests,  that  gave  any  evidence  of  vegetable 
life  to  relieve  the  eye  in  this  desolate  waste. 

We  now  commenced  descending  the  mountain  by  an 
easy  grade  towards  the  Pacific,  and  that  night  reached 
Leak  Springs,  where  we  encamped  with  a  large  crowd  of 
immigrants,  all  bound  for  the  valleys  in  California. 
This  was  the  point  I  had  reached  in  1850,  when  I  was 
compelled  to  return,  owing  to  a  family  of  friends  having 
lost  a  husband  and  father  by  death.  I  have  omitted 
reference  to  that  trip  in  this  history,  as  there  were  but 


262  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


few  events  worth  noting,  and  I  have  designed  to 
record  only  the  most  remarkable  events  in  my  life. 

As  already  stated,  at  Leak  Springs  we  encamped  for 
the  night,  with  many  other  immigrants.  There  was  a 
station  at  this  place,  a  mere  booth  of  brush  and  shakes. 
Under  the  counter  and  about  one  foot  from  the  top  was 
a  shelf,  upon  which  was  a  large  cheese  and  many  other 
things,  and  under  this  was  the  proprietor's  sleeping  bunk, 
or,  rather,  a  nest.  Now  at  that  time  the  western  slope  of 
the  mountains  was  filled  with  grizzly  bears;  and  during 
the  night  a  large  grizzly  came  into  the  place,  ate  up  the 
big  cheese,  and  made  off,  without  awaking  the  propri 
etor.  This  is  rather  a  hard  story,  but  I  know  it  to  be  a 
fact.  I  saw  the  mess  he  had  made  by  scattering  crumbs, 
and  also  the  print  of  his  immense  feet  in  the  soft  earth, 
as  well  as  the  nest  where  the  man  slept.  A  lucky  thing 
it  was  for  the  store-keeper  that  he  did  not  awake  while 
old  bruin  was  taking  his  meal. 

This  may  strike  the  eye  of  some  one  who  was  present 
at  the  time,  as  many  beside  myself  had  ocular  demon 
stration  of  the  fact.  It  occurred  about  the  first  of  Sep 
tember,  1852. 

Nothing  further  worthy  of  note  occurred,  and  I 
arrived  safely  in  old  "  Hangtown  "  (now  PlacervilleJ. 
Of  course  at  that  day  I  thought  of  nothing  but  money, 
and  I  firmly  expected,  with  my  superior  genius,  that  I 
would  make  the  rivers  and  gulches  yield  up  their  treas 
ures  in  untold  thousands.  But  there  was  something  to 
be  done.  My  teams  were  yet  in  Carson  Valley,  and  I 
must  get  them  over  the  mountains,  and  dispose  of  them 
before  finally  settling  down.  Accordingly,  after  selling 
my  "alkalied  "  horse,  and  purchasing  what  I  supposed 
to  be  a  fresh  one,  I  prepared  to  resume  my  travels. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  .    263 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

INITIATED   AS   A    MOUNTAINEER. 

IN  a  previous  chapter,  the  reader  will  remember  that 
I  incidentally  mentioned  having  met  Gen.  J.  W. 
Denver  in  Carson  Valley.  After  my  arrival  in  Placer- 
ville,  I  became  more  intimately  acquainted  with  him. 
He  was  at  that  time  smarting  under  the  effect  of  the 
duel  between  himself  and  young  Nelson,  editor  of  the 
Alta  California,  which  resulted  in  the  death  of  the  latter 
gentleman 

When  I  spoke  of  having  to  return  to  Carson  Valley, 
he  also  expressed  an  anxiety  to  make  a  trip  across  the 
mountains;  and  it  was  finally  agreed  that  he  should 
return  to  San  Francisco  to  enlist  a  party  of  friends  who 
he  thought  would  like  to  go  along,  and  among  them  was 
a  young  lawyer,  whose  name,  I  think,  was  Snyder.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  promise,  but  was  fast  going  to  a 
drunkard's  grave,  and  the  excursion  was  as  much  to  get 
him  sobered  up  as  for  any  other  purpose.  We  had  set 
the  fourth  day  of  July  as  the  time  for  leaving  Placerville. 

We  were  going  to  cross  by  the  Johnson  Cut-off,  a  mere 
bridle  train  across  the  mountains,  where  even  the  fallen 
timber  was  not  cut  from  the  trail.  The  entire  route  was 
an  unbroken  wild,  inhabited  only  by  grizzly  bears,  Cali 
fornia  lions,  and  wild  Indians. 

Well,  the  day  arrived  for  starting,  but  the  night  before 
I  had  received  a  line  from  Denver  saymg  that  his  party 
could  not  get  ready  for  some  time  to  come.  But  I  had 
made  full  preparations  for  the  trip,  purchased  what  I 
supposed  to  be  a  fresh  pony,  got  my  blankets,  and  a 


264  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

little  sack  of  provisions,  revolvers,  and  some  hooks  and 
lines.  Thus  equipped,  I  could  not  wait,  as  my  horse 
would  soon  "eat  his  head  off"  in  those  days;  and, 
besides,  I  was  anxious  for  my  teams.  Consequently,  I 
set  out  on  my  journey  alone.  At  about  twelve  o'clock 
I  crossed  the  American  River  (south  fork]  at  Bartlett's 
Bridge,  that  being  the  last  trading-post  on  the  route. 

I  commenced  ascending  the  mountain  on  the  opposite 
side  and  had  nearly  reached  the  summit,  when  I  met  a 
lot  of  my  acquaintances  who  had  crossed  the  plains 
with  me  to  Carson  Valley,  and  were  footing  it  over  the 
mountains.  Their  provisions  had  given  out,  and  they 
were  nearly  starved.  Well,  I  opened  my  provision  kit, 
and  before  their  appetites  were  satisfied,  they  and  myself 
had  exhausted  my  slender  store.  I  then  took  leave 
of  them,  and  started  on  my  lonely  trail,  with  nearly  one 
hundred  miles  of  unbroken  forest  before  me,  without  an 
ounce  of  provisions,  my  revolver  and  hooks  and  lines 
being  my  only  dependence  wherewith  to  gain  a  suste 
nance.  I  jogged  along  on  my  pony,  as  I  supposed  all 
right,  when  all  of  a  sudden  he  gave  out.  Although  he 
was  fat  and  apparently  in  good  condition,  he  refused  to 
carry  me  further,  and  would  have  lain  down  had  I  not 
dismounted.  I  soon  discovered  that  he  had  been 
recently  alkalied,  and  hence  the  deceptive  appearance. 
I  let  him  rest  a  little,  then  drove  him  before  me,  with 
nothing  on  him  but  my  blankets  and  saddle,  and  we 
made  a  few  miles  only  before  the  sun  went  down  and 
darkness  came  creeping  over  us.  We  were  threading 
our  way  through"  a  dense  forest  of  lofty  pines,  redwood, 
and  mountain  cedar,  whose  tops  reached  some  three 
hundred  feet  into  the  air,  and  in  the  gray  light  giving 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  265 

a  dense  gloom  to  all  surroundings;  but  at  length  I 
thought  I  saw  an  opening  through  the  trees  to  the  left 
of  the  trail.  I  led  my  horse  in  that  direction,  and  soon 
came  to  a  creek  with  several  acres  of  open  ground,  and 
found  an  abundance  of  food  for  my  used-up  horse.  I 
removed  the  blankets  and  saddle,  and  tied  him  where 
he  could  get  all  he  wanted  of  food  and  water. 

I  now  began  to  look  about  for  a  place  to  sleep.  I 
found  a  fallen  tree  about  five  feet  in  diameter,  with  large 
slabs  of  bark  that  had  fallen  from  the  log.  I  also  found 
some  dry  poles  and  placed  them  one  end  on  the  ground, 
with  the  other  leaning  against  the  log;  then  I  laid  the 
bark  on  the  poles,  thus  making  for  myself  a  shelter.  I 
had  .plenty  of  matches,  and  could  have  built  a  fire;  but 
then  came  the  question,  was  it  policy  to  do  that?  It 
was  true  it  would  keep  off  wild  beasts;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  would  attract  the  attention  of  Indians  if  they 
were  about,  and  I  chose  to  risk  savage  beasts  rather 
than  savage  men.  So,  with  my  saddle  for  a  pillow,  I 
crept  into  my  frail  shelter,  and  placing  my  revolver 
under  my  head,  was  soon  in  a  sound  sleep,  from  which  I 
was  awakened  about  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  by  the  crack 
ing  of  brush.  I  grasped  my  pistols  and  listened;  it 
seemed  to  be  approaching  me.  I  sat  up,  watching 
further  developments,  when,  all  of  a  sudden,  something 
larger  than  a  dog  sprang  upon  the  log  about  forty  feet 
from  me.  I  leveled  my  pistol  and  fired,  when  the  beast 
'did  some  good  running.  I  did  not  then  know,  but 
afterwards  ascertained  that  it  was  a  California  lion.  But 
that  shot  rang  through  the  little  valley  and  far  into  the 
mountains,  and  if  there  were  any  Indians  about  they 
would  be  sure  to  hear  the  report,  and  perhaps  see  the 
18 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES    OF 


flash.  Hence,  it  was  necessary  to  change  my  quarters, 
which  I  did  by  crawling  under  the  lee  of  another  fallen 
tree,  not  so  good  a  place  as  the  first,  where  I  spent  the 
rest  of  the  night  in  peace. 

Next  morning  I  was  up  with  the  sun,  saddled  my 
pony,  which  had  had  a  good  feed,  tied  my  blankets  to 
the  saddle,  and  once  more  finding  the  trail,  prosecuted 
my  journey.  I  could  travel  only  at  apace  of  about  two 
miles  an  hour,  on  account  of  the  horse  (which  I  wished 
to  save),  but  I  trudged  on  until  about  nine  o'clock,  when 
I  felt  very  hungry,  having  had  no  supper  and  no  break- 
fastas  yet.  In  anopeningamong  the  pines,  where  the  sun's 
rays  penetrated,  I  found  some  grasshoppers,  which  I  pock 
eted  and  went  my  way.  About  noon  I  came  upon-  the 
bank  of  the  south  fork  of  the  American  River,  at  what 
is  now  known  as  Strawberry  Valley,  where  I  got  out  my 
fishing  tackle  and  grasshoppers,  and  soon  caught  trout 
enough  for  a  good  meal.  I  built  a  fire,  and  roasted  and 
ate  trout  until  I  felt  like  a  new  man.  They  were  excel 
lent,  although  I  had  no  salt  for  them. 

Between  two  and  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I 
again  resumed  my  journey,  the  trail  following  up  the 
river;  but,  as  before,  my  progress  was  very  slow,  some 
times  leading  and  sometimes  driving  my  horse  before  me. 
About  an  hour  before  sundown,  finding  good  grass  for 
my  horse,  and  a  chasm  in  the  rocks  for  my  own  nest,  I 
concluded  to  camp  for  the  night.  So  I  cut  a  fishing, 
pole,  went  down  to  the  stream  and  took  out  enough  trout 
for  my  supper,  which  I  roasted  as  before.  By  this  time 
it  had  grown  quite  dark.  My  den  was  between  a  rift  in 
the  rocks,  about  three  feet  in  width,  and  some  ten  or 
twelve  feet  long,  the  bottom  being  a  natural  receptacle 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  267 

for  leaves  and  small  twigs,  which  had  accumulated  to 
such  a  depth  as  to  make  me  a  nice,  soft  bed.  I  now 
commenced  to  roll  in  a  quantity  of  loose  rocks  to  fill  the 
chasm  at  my  head,  which  was  about  five  feet  deep,  and 
then  to  cover  the  top  with  green  brush,  which  I  cut  with 
my  Bowie-knife.  When  my  nest  was  completed  it  was 
quite  dark,  and  I  seated  myself  upon  a  rock  to  survey 
the  scene,  which  was  the  most  gloomy  (yet  in  some  re 
spects  sublime)  that  I  ever  gazed  upon.  The  eye  could 
not  reach  the  lofty  heads  of  the  monarchs  of  the  forest 
that  surrounded  me;  in  front  of  me,  not  fifty  yards  dis 
tant,  were  three  pyramids,  to  which  Cleopatra's  Needle 
would  be  as  a  cambric  needle  to  a  crow-bar,  rising 
abruptly  from  the  valley  to  a  height  of  seven  or  eight 
hundred  feet,  while  every  brush  and  old  stump  of  a  tree 
was  transformed  into  an  Indian,  and  every  rock  that  rose 
above  the  surface  wore  the  garb  of  a  grizzly  bear  or  a 
crouching  panther,  and  the  sense  of  loneliness  that  crept 
over  me  called  to  mind  Cowper's  verse:— 

"  Oh,  solitude  !  where  are  the  charms 
That  sages  have  found  in  thy  face  ? 
Better  live  in  the  midst  of  alarms 
Than  reign  in  this  horrible  place." 

Nevertheless,  I  got  a  good  night's  sleep,  and  was  out 
early  in  the  morning  with  my  rod  and  line,  pulling  out 
the  finny  denizens  of  the  stream  until  I  had  plenty  of 
provisions  for  my  onward  trip.  I  got  my  breakfast,  and 
about  nine  o'clock  went  back  to  my  grotto  to  get  my 
blankets  and  prepare  for  my  journey.  But  on  my  ap 
proach  I  discovered  that  my  possession  was  disputed  and 
my  claim  had  been  jumped,  for  within  three  feet  of  the 
entrance  lay,  coiled  in  the  sun,  a  huge  rattlesnake,  which 
warned  me  on  my  approach.  Here  was  an  enemy  I  had 


268  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

not  even  thought  of;  but  since  that  time,  in  traversing 
those  same  mountains,  I  found  them  plenty,  large,  and 
vicious.  I  attacked  my  enemy  with  a  club;  the  contest 
was  short,  and  I  was  soon  in  peaceable  possession  of  my 
den.  The  snake  was  something  over  four  feet  long 
(which  is  a  good  size,  even  for  the  mountains). 

Again  I  was  under  way,  and  about  noon  I  crossed  the 
river  at  what  is  now  known  as  Slippery  Ford,  and  fol 
lowed  the  trail  along  the  north  bank  of  a  small  creek 
(which  empties  into  the  river)  for  several  miles.  As  I 
was  leading  my  horse  along  I  saw  ahead  of  me  sorrfe 
small  animal  coming  in  the  path  directly  toward  me.  I 
halted,  drew  my  revolver,  and  when  it  got  within  about 
thirty  feet  of  me  I  fired,  shooting  it  through  the  head. 
It  fell  in  the  path;  I  hastened  forward  and  discovered  it 
to  be  a  large  groundhog.  It  would  weigh,  when  dressed, 
ten  or  twelve  pounds.  I  soon  removed  the  entrails,  let 
ting  the  skin  remain  on  to  keep  the  meat  from  getting 
dirty,  and  hung  him  on  the  saddle  to  balance  my  string 
of  fish;  then  who  was  happier  than  I  ? 

But  it  soon  become  camping-time  again.  There  was 
plenty  of  grass  on  the  banks  of  the  creek,  and  in  looking 
around  I  soon  found  a  long,  hollow  tree,  which  at  some 
time  had  been  burned  out  at  the  roots,  leaving  a  doorway 
into -which  I  could  crawl.  Here  I  resolved  to  pass  the 
night.  As  the  ilight  closed  in  it  became  very  cold, 
as  I  was  then  high  up  the  mountains,  in  fact,  upon  the 
summit  of  the  Sierras;  and  in  order  to  keep  warm,  was 
compelled  to  build  a  fire  in  front  of  my  hole  in  the  tree, 
in  defiance  of  the  savages.  But  I  very  properly  rea 
soned  that  they  would  not  be  likely  to  camp  where  it 
was  so  cold. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  269 


I  found  my  scalp  all  right  in  the  morning,  and  my 
horse  where  I  had  left  him;  and,  after  breakfast,  I  again 
pushed  forward.  But  before  noon,  I  met  some  packers 
and  purchased  a  piece  of  salt,  half  as  large  as  a  hen's 
egg,  for  fifty  cents.  Then  I  was  fixed  !  A  couple  of 
miles  farther  brought  me  to  where  I  commenced  my 
descent  from  the  mountains;  and  before  sundown  I  was 
in  Lake  Valley  and  across  the  first  summit.  Here  I  met 
a  lot  of  immigrants  packing  through.  They  had  plenty 
of  crackers,  but  no  meat.  Hence  a  bargain  was  soon 
struck;  my  groundhog  was  put  in  the  camp-kettle  and 
stewing  in  short  order,  and  we  all  had  a  feast  that  night. 
They  cooked  the  most  of  my  trout  for  breakfast,  I  re 
serving  a  few  for  an  emergency  and  taking  my  pockets 
full  of  crackers. 

I  camped  the  next  night  at  the  lower  end  of  Lake 
Valley,  and  the  day  after  reached  Mormon  Station,  via 
Dyit's  Ravine,  in  Carson  Valley,  where  I  joined  a  band 
of  old  mountaineers,  who  extended  to  me  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship  and  considered  me  duly  initiated.  Since 
that  time  I  have  scoured  those  mountains  most  effectually, 
and  when  Green  Yarnell  and  myself  wanted  to  start  a 
grizzly  bea^  from  his  lair,  we  always  went  to  North 
Peavine  for  him ;  and  when  I  have  shown  my  first  night's 
habitation  alongside  of  the  old  log  to  the  boys,  they 
always  declared  that  I  must  have  been  hunting  grizzlies, 
as  it  was  the  worst  place  in  the  mountains  for  grizzly 
bears. 


270  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

ANOTHER   TRIP   FROM   CARSON    TO  PLACERVILLE. 

ON  arriving  in  Carson  Valley,  I  again  met  my  old 
friends  Bolch  and  Parker;  found  that  my  teams  had 
sufficiently  improved  to  be  able  to  cross  the  mountains, 
and  had  arranged  to  start  in  a  few  days  on  the  return 
to  Placerville,  with  my  wagons.  One  day  as  Captain 
Parker  and  myself  were  talking  with  one  of  the  men 
who  owned  the  toll-bridge  across  the  south  branch  of 
Carson  River,  away  up  near  Emigrant  Canon,  some  im 
migrant  wagons  came  up  where  we-  were  conversing. 
The  bridgeman  stepped  up  to  one  of  the  immigrants 
and  said,  "  I  am  one  of  the  owners  of  the  toll-bridge 
about  five  miles  ahead,  and  I  want  you  to  pay  your  toll 
here."  The  man  hesitated  a  little  and  then,  while  taking 
out  his  purse,  asked  the  tollman  how  he  should  know 
but  that  he  might  find  a  man  again  at  the  gate  who 
would  demand  toll.  The  fellow  assured  him  that  he 
would  find  no  one  at  the  bridge,  as  the  Indians  were 
troublesome  in  that  vicinity,  and  the  owners  had  left  and 
come  to  the  valley.  There  being  two  travelers  together, 
the  other  man  asked,  "  Have  you  a  charter  for  your 
bridge?"  The  bridgeman  replied  in  the  affirmative,  when 
the  immigrant  paid  his  toll  and  went  on. 

As  they  left,  the  tollman  addressed  himself  to  Parker, 
saying,  "If  those  fellows  had  asked  me  to  show  my 
charter  [clapping  his  hand  on  his  revolver,  suggestively] 
I  would  have  shown  it  to  them."  Presently  the  fellow 
went  away,  when  I  remarked  to  Parker,  "  When  I  start 
across-  the  mountains  with  my  teams,  I  will  make  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  271 

gentleman  show  his  charter,  or  else  I  will  not  pay  to 
cross  his  bridge."  In  a  few  days  I  was  ready  to  start, 
leaving  Bolch  and  Parker  with  their  stock  in  the  valley, 
to  follow  in  a  short  time. 

Joseph  Stone  drove  one  of  my  teams  and  a  young 
man,  whose  name  I  do  not  remember,  drove  the  others. 
We  went  on  until  we  reached  the  aforesaid  bridge,  or 
rather  two  of  them  close  together,  when  my  boastful 
toll-taker  came  out  and  demanded  his  toll.  I  said,  "  Sir, 
have  you  a  charter  authorizing  you  to  receive  toll  for  the 
crossing  of  these  bridges  ?  "  He  hesitated  a  moment,  and 
then  said,  "No,  I  have  not."  "Then,"  said  I,  "I  will 
not  pay  to  cross."  At  this  his  partner  stepped  out  of 
the  toll-house.  The  first  one  pulled  out  a  long  spring 
dirk-knife  and  commenced  whittling  as  he  talked,  lean 
ing  up  against  a  long  pole  that  laid  in  two  crotches, 
making  a  barrier  to  prevent  driving  across  the  bridge. 
He  said  he  had  no  charter;  that  the  bridge  was  not  in 
California,  as  the  lines  had  not  been  run.  I  asked, 
"Why,  then,  did  you  not  get  a  charter  from  Brigham 
Young?  I  have  been  recognizing  his  charters  ever  since 
we  reached  Utah."  I  then  peremptorily  demanded, 
"  Get  away,  from  there  and  take  down  that  pole,  so  I 
can  cross,  or  I  will  pitch  it  into  the  river."  He  replied, 
"  You  must  not  touch  that  pole,  and  you  cannot  cross 
this  bridge  unless  you  pay  your  toll,  as  this  is  our  prop 
erty;  you  shall  not  interfere  with  it,  and  we  will  defend 
it."  I  retorted,  "  Look  below  your  bridge;  do  you  not 
see  that  it  is  placed  exactly  over  the  immigrant  ford? 
I  want  you  to  remove  your  nuisance  at  once,  or  I  shall 
drive  over  it."  He  again  replied  that  I  could  not  cross 
the  bridge  without  paying  toll. 


272  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


I  then  stepped  forward  and  pitched  the  pole  into  the 
stream  and  called  out,  "  Drive  on,  boys."  I  remained 
with  our  two  heroes,  one  of  whom  said  that  if  they  knew 
my  name  they  would  prosecute  me;  that  I  had  taken 
the  advantage  of  them  and  forced  the  bridge  by  supe 
rior  numbers.  In  reply  I  said,  "  I  do  not  think  I  have 
much  the  advantage  of  you,  there  are  two  of  you  and 
but  one  of  me,  as  my  teamsters  are  entirely  beyond  my 
reach  for  aid.  So  I  do  not  see  where  the  advantage 
comes  in.  But,"  said  I,  "  listen  to  me;  in  this  matter 
I  have  not  acted  without  an  object.  So  far  as  my  name 
is  concerned,  you  shall  have  that."  I  handed  him  my 
card,  saying,  "  I  shall  be  found  in  Placerville  whenever 
you  want  me,  and  now  for  my  reasons."  I  then  referred 
to  the  boast  of  some  days  before  to  Parker,  about 
showing  their  charter,  and  also  told  them  what  I  had 
said  to  Parker  regarding  their  charter;  and  clapping  my 
hand  on  my  pistol,  I  said,  "  I  always  carry  a  pass  for  all 
such  charters  as  yours,  and  wish  you  to  learn  this  les 
son:  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  for  a  man  to  be 
mistaken.  You  undoubtedly  can  boast  of  being  'old 
forty-niners,'  and  imagine  that  all  the  immigrants  are  a 
set  of  submissive  cowards;  but  to  rectify  that  mistake,  I 
want  you  to  distinctly  recollect  that  I  am  an  immigrant ! " 

During  our  controversy,  a  couple  of  packers  came 
along  and  crossed  the  bridge,  going  to  Carson  Valley; 
of  course  they  met  the  immigrant  trains  and  told  them 
that  the  bridge  had  been  forced,  and  after  that  no  one  . 
would  pay  toll.  The  next  day  the  fellows  burned  their 
bridge  and  left,  and  I  never  saw  them  afterward.  But, 
by  the  way,  when  I  came  up  to  the  wagons,  which  were 
awaiting  me  about  two  hundred  yards  distant,  I  found 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  273 


my  friend  Joe  Stone  with  my  old  rifle  cocked  and  a 
bead  drawn  on  the  bridgemen.  When  I  asked  for  an 
explanation,  he  said,  "  I  did  not  know  but  they  would 
shoot  you  as  you  walked  away  from  them,  and  I  did  not 
intend  to  allow  that." 

We  proceeded  on  our  journey,  and  in  time,  without 
further  adventure,  we  reached  Placerville,  which,  outside 
of  San  Francisco,  was  then  the  town  of  the  State.  The 
streets  were  crowded  with  people  of  all  classes,  and  all 
nationalities,  and  all  professions.  Men  of  industrious 
habits  were  generally  in  the  mines,  and  those  who  lived 
by  their  wits  were  looking  for  a  chance  to  make  money 
by  adapting  themselves  to  anything  that  might  be 
learned  easy.  Lawyers  found  a  very  fair  field  for  their 
wits  in  defending  mining  suits,  under  the  district  mining 
laws,  and  physicians  were  generally  employed  in  their 
legitimate  profession.  But  the  preachers;  ah!  there 
came  the  rub;  what  should  they  do?  There  were  no 
churches;  at  that  day  the  body  was  to  be  cared  for,  but 
the  soul  was  seldom  thought  of.  Hence,  like  black 
Othello,  they  had  to  own  their  occupation  gone.  And 
I  have  seen  many  a  divine  change  the  pulpit  for  the 
monte  table  or  the  faro  bank,  while  another  would  get 
up  and  air  his  eloquence  in  a  gambling  hell,  warning  the 
occupants  of  their  wicked  ways,  and  if  he  happened  to 
take  with  the  crowd,  he  would  reap  a  rich  harvest  for 
the  labor  thus  bestowed.  I  was  intimate  with  one  of 
that  class,  who  often  remarked  to  me  that  preaching  was 
easier  than  handling  the  pick  and  shovel. 


274  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 

MY   EXPERIENCE   AS   A    MINER. 

AFTER  disposing,  of  my  teams,  Joe  Stone  and  my 
self  went  down  on  the  south  fork  of  the  American 
River,  where  we  purchased  a  claim  and  went  to  work 
mining.  The  sun  was  very  hot  and  the  shade  was  cool 
and  pleasant,  and  Joe  was  a  good  hand  to  tell  stories; 
consequently  sometimes  the  claim  did  not  pay  very  well, 
and  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  thing  would  not 
pay  anyhow.  So  I  bought  Joe  out,  and  he  sought  other 
fields  of  labor.  I  soon  sold  the  claim  and  took  up  other 
claims,  all  of  which  I  sold  to  "  forty-niners."  I  would  not 
sell  an  imnrgrant  a  claim. 

After  making  a  few  thousand  dollars  by  the  sale  of 
claims,  I  finally  located  what  was  known  as  Prospect 
Flat,  or  rather  that  was  what  I  named  it.  I  had  erected 
a  cabin  and  struck  moderate  pay.  Doctor  Morse,  P.  F. 
Adams,  and  several  others  were  with  me.  They  had  no 
where  else  to  go.  Winter  came  on — the  terrible  winter 
of  1852-53.  The  whole  crowd  was  sick,  save  "  Doc."  and 
myself,  and  he  and  I  worked  our  mine  to  feed  the  sick 
ones.  It  paid  tolerably  well,  and  when  we  cleared  up  for 
the  night  the  only  question  was,  Have  we  made  enough 
to-day  to  purchase  grub  for  the  crowd?  when  we  would 
shoulder  our  picks  and  make  for  the  cabin,  through  the 
slush  of  snow  and  mud,  all  dripping  wet. 

Thus  we  worked  the  whole  winter  to  supply  our  com 
rades  with  necessary  food ;  and  we  were  doing  well  at 
that,  as  all  that  winter  flour  was  a  dollar  a  pound ;  bacon, 
a  dollar  and  a  half  a  pound;  potatoes,  one  dollar,  and 


Of  THE 

'  UNIVERSITY) 
COLONEL  L.  A.  NoRTtoi^^fc^  #5 

everything  in  proportion.  These  high  prices  were 
caused,  not  by  any  scarcity  or  sudden  rise  in  provisions 
in  San  Francisco  or  the  valleys,  but  owing  to  the  im 
passable  condition  of  the  roads.  To  transport  by  wagons 
was  impossible,  and  pack  animals  would  in  many  in 
stances  mire  down;  hence  much  of  the  provision  was 
brought  in  on  men's  backs,  many  men  finding  that  mak 
ing  pack  animals  of  themselves  paid  better  than  mining. 
However,  the  winter  wore  away  and  spring,  with  all  its 
poetry  of  birds  and  flowers,  once  more  dawned  upon  us, 
and  with  it  the  usual  prices  for  provisions.  The  sick  boys, 
having  regained  their  health  once  more,  resumed  their 
picks  and  shovels. 

But  about  this  time  an  incident  occurred  which 
caused  me  to  change  my  occupation.  I  had  organized  a 
mining  district  known  as  Prospect  Flat  Mining  District, 
and  had  taken  up  a  claim  in  a  gulch;  but  there  were 
three  men  working  a  claim  below  mine,  and  I  could  not 
get  fall  enough  to  work  my  claim  until  they  had  worked 
theirs  out;  so  I  put  just  the  required  amount  of  work 
on  my  claim  to  hold  it  under  the  district  laws.  But 
when  the  men  below  me  had  worked  up  the  gulch  to 
the  boundary  of  my  claim,  they  did  not  respect  it,  but 
continued  to  work  right  along.  I  remonstrated  with 
them,  but  they  would  not  listen  to  anything  I  said.  I 
then  notified  them  that  I  should  call  a  miners'  meeting 
to  decide  who  the  claim  belonged  to.  They  said  they 
did  not  care  for  me  nor  the  miners'  meeting.  They 
declared  that  they  would  not  attend  the  meeting,  and 
that  they  would  work  the  claim  or  die  over  it;  that  they 
came  from  "Old  Kentuck  by  G — d."  I  told  them  that 
I  didn't  come  from  "  Old  Kentuck,"  and  that,  like  all 


276  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

my  race,  I  was  a  coward;  but  they  had  better  be  more 
careful,  as  an  invasion  of  my  rights  might  make  a  lion 
of  me. 

On  Saturday  night  I  attended  the  miners'  meeting, 
and  introduced  my  evidence  showing  that  I  had  done 
the  requisite  amount  of  labor  to  hold  the  claim,  when 
the  miners  decided  the  case  in  my  favor  and  offered  to 
send  a  committee  to  place  me  in  possession  of  my  claim 
on  Monday  morning.  I  told  them  that  in  case  I  wanted 
a  committee  to  place  me  in  possession  I  would  call  upon 
them;  but  I  would  ask  the  president  of  the  meeting  to 
let  the  secretary  go  with  me,  and  read  the  proceedings 
of  the  meeting  to  the  adverse  party. 

Accordingly  on  Monday  morning  I  was  on  the  ground, 
with  my  pick,  shovel,  and  long-torn,  at  work  uncovering 
a  space  to  gettothe  wash  dirt.  Charley  Barney ;  a  friend, 
accompanied  the  secretary  and  myself;  and  in  about 
half  an  hour  my  antagonists  put  in  an  appearance. 
They  came  right  upon  the  ground  and  commenced  work 
with  me.  I  quietly  notified  them  that  I  should  not  pay 
them  for  their  labor,  and  they  returned  the  compliment, 
telling  me  that  they  would  not  pay  me  for  mine.  I  told 
them  that  unless  the  Government  paid  me  I  should  not 
expect  any  pay. 

After  thus  working  for  a  time,  the  secretary  having  in 
the  meantime  read  the  decision  of  the  meeting  giving 
me  the  ground,  I  said  to  Charley  Barney,  "Charley, 
will  you  help  me  to  set  my  torn?"  We  took  the  torn 
and  jumped  down  into  the  trench  where  they  had 
worked  to,  which  was  about  four  feet  deep,  with  a  straight 
face  up  to  where  they  had  quit  work.  As  we  jumped 
down  and  took  the  torn  with  us,  one  of  the  contestants, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  277 

the  leader  of  the  three,  a  well-made  man  and  six  feet 
high,  sprang  upon  the  rocks  above  us  with  a  bright  new 
pick  in  his  hand,  and  it  was  difficult  to  say  whether  his 
black  and  flashing  eyes  or  the  pick  shone  the  brightest. 
He  raised  the  pick  and  exclaimed,  "  D — n  you,  come 
out  of  there  or  I  will  pin  you  to  the  rock."  Charley 
was  down  in  the  ditch;  I  glanced  up  and  saw  a  small 
projecting  point  about  half-way  up  the  face  of  the  rock; 
I  caught  fire  and  said,  "  Yes,  I  will  come  out."  I  sprang, 
placed  my  toe  on  the  projection,  and  before  he  was 
aware  of  my  intention,  I  was  at  his  side,  and  my  head 
was  above  the  point  of  his  pick.  He  attempted  to 
raise  it  to  strike,  when,  like  a  flash,  I  threw  my  left  arm 
around  him,  seized  his  pick  with  my  right  hand,  and 
tearing  it  from  its  grasp,  threw  it  down  into  the  ditch. 
And  as  he  attempted  to  slip  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  I 
momentarily  relaxed  my  hold  of  his  waist  and  again 
threw  my  arm  around  him,  pinioning  his  arm  at  his 
side.  I  felt  that  the  man  was  as  a  child  in  my  grasp. 

At  this  moment  one  of  his  partners  rushed  up  and 
with  one  of  the  long-handled  mining  shovels  struck  at 
me  a  terrific  blow.  As  quick  as  thought  I  threw  the 
man  I  was  holding  right  under  the  descending  shovel, 
which  must  have  split  his  head  open  had  not  Dr.  Morse, 
the  secretary,  caught  another  shovel  and  raised  it  so  as 
to  receive  the  blow  in  time  to  save  my  man's  life. 
When  the  fellow  saw  what  he  would  have  done,  he 
turned  deathly  pale  and  sank  down  upon  the  grass, 
making  no  further  effort  to  aid  his  friend.  But  an  over 
grown  fellow  that  would  have  weighed  over  two  hun 
dred  pounds,  the  third  partner,  stepped  up  with  a  spade 
in  his  hand  and  said,  "  Release  that  man  or  I  will  split 
your  head  open." 


278  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

But  by  this  time  I  was  ready  for  almost  anything, 
and  the  shovels  did  not  seem  to  me  to  be  more  than  so 
many  straws  whirled  about  my  head;  and  as  he  advanced 
on  me,  I  exclaimed,  "  You  coward,  you  dare  not  strike 
any  one,"  and  dealt  him  a  kick  that  wilted  him  at  my 
feet.  Then  my  "  companion-in-arms  "  began  to  come 
to  his  reason  and  asked  me  to  let  him  go,  as  the  claim 
was  not  worth  fighting  for.  I  told  him  that  he  should 
have  thought  of  that  sooner!  "  But,"  I  said,  "you  have 
a  plaything  in  your  side-pocket  that  I  want  for  a  min 
ute."  He,  without  further  resistance,  permitted  me  to 
put  my  hand  into  his  pocket  and  take  out  his  revolver. 
I  removed  the  caps,  threw  it  out  onto  the  bank,  and  told 
them  all  to  get  out  of  there.  They  helped  out  the  man 
I  had  kicked,  and  all  marched  off,  leaving  their  tools,  for 
which  they  returned  in  three  or  four  days. 

As  for  myself,  in  jerking  the  pick  away  from  the  fel 
low  (whose  name  I  afterwards  learned  was  Hendricks), 
I  had  so  strained  my  right  wrist  that  I  could  no  longer 
use  it.  Hence  I  quit  mining  and  went  to  San  Francisco 
to  purchase  a  law  lil^ygry.  I  called  on  my  friend  E.  D. 
Baker,  who  was  then  practicing  law  with  Judge  Crock 
ett,  and  they  kindly  assisted  me  in  selecting  my  books, 
when  I  returned  to  Placerville,  stuck  out  my  shingle, 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  law.  But  it  was  many 
months  before  my  arm  got  well,  as  the  muscles  were 
badly  strained. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  279 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

LAWYER   AND    MERCHANT — UNCLE    BILLY'S    LARCENY. 

\  FTER practicing  awhile,  I  was  compelled  to  take  a 
/\  stock  of  goods,  on  which  I  had  advanced  money, 
and  for  some  time  I  ran  an  auction  and  commission 
business,  in  connection  with  my  legal  profession.  But 
after  trying  to  conduct  both  for  a  time,  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  I  had  too  many  irons  in  the  fire,  and 
disposed  of  my  goods. 

But  while  I  was  still  trying  to  conduct  a  mercantile 
business  in  connection  with- the  legal  profession,  a  happy- 
faced  old  gentleman  came  into  my  store  one  day  and 
wished  to  know  if  my  name  was  Norton.  I  informed 
him  that  it  was.  "Well,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "I 
have  got  into  a  little  trouble  and  John  Frink  told  me  to 
come  and  employ  you  and  you  would  get  me  out  of  it." 
I  replied  that  I  thanked  my  friend  Frink  for  his  confi 
dence  in  my  ability.  I  then  asked  him  his  name.  He 
said  his  name  was  Billy  Sutton,  but  they  all  called  him 
Uncle  Billy.  "Well,"  I  said,  "Uncle  Billy,  what  is  the 
nature  of  your  case?"  He  replied,  "They  have  arrested 
me  for  stealing  Aunty  Crowley's  turkey."  I  said,  "Well, 
Uncle  Billy,  did  you  steal  Aunty  Crowley's  turkey?" 
He  said,  "Yes."  "Well,"  said  I,  "can  they  prove  it?" 
"Yes,"  said  he,  "there  was  a  man  with  me  when  I  took 
it,  and  they  have  got  him  for  a  witness."  "Well,"  said 
I,  uhow  do  you  expect  me  to  clear  you  when  they  have 
an  eye-witness  to  your  guilt?"  He  said,  "I  don't  know, 
only  Frink  told  me  to  employ  you  and  you  would  get 
me  out  of  it."  I  then  interrogated  him  further  and 


280  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

found  that  he  had  been  to  Placerville  and  got  "pretty 
full,"  and  in  returning  to  his  cabin  he  saw  the  turkey 
on  the  fence  and  concluded,  "just  for  a  lark,"  to  take 
the  turkey,  and  himself  and  friends  would  have  a  "bit 
of  a  feast,"  never  thinking  that  the  turkey  was  worth 
five  dollars.  He  told  the  young  man  who  was  with 
him  to  wait  and  he  would  get  the  turkey.  He  said  it 
was  all  done  by  moonlight.  He  got  the  turkey  and 
they  made  their  way  home;  but  the  turkey  being  a  good 
fat  one,  it  was  rather  heavy  and  he  got  his  friend  to 
help  him  carry  it. 

The  turkey  was  taken  home  and  cooked,  the  boys 
undoubtedly  enjoying  the  feast.  But  after  a  time  the 
young  fellow  "  leaked,"  and  Aunty  Crowley,  learning  what 
had  been  the  fate  of  her  turkey,  made  complaint  and 
had  Uncle  Billy  arrested  for  stealing  it;  and  he  was 
then  under  an  arrest  and  permitted  to  come  and 
get  counsel,  the  boys  having  bailed  him;  for,  as  I  after 
wards  learned,  they  all  liked  Uncle  Billy,  and  he  was 
anything  but  a  thief. 

I  soon  found  that  they  had  the  young  man  who  was 
with  Uncle  Billy  under  summons  as  a  witness  and  were 
keeping  a  close  lookout  for  him.  The  justice  who  issued 
the  warrant  of  arrest  was  Esquire  Vernon,  of  upper 
Placerville.  He  was  an  old  hard-shell  Baptist  deacon, 
and  was  very  much  down  on  any  infraction  of  the  crim 
inal  code.  I  accompanied  my  man,  Uncle  Billy,  up  to 
the  room  where  I  found  the  court,  Johnson,  prosecut 
ing  attorney,  Cock-eyed  Jack  Johnson,  an  assistant  (being 
a  good  friend  of  Aunty  Crowley),  and  the  constable  (L. 
B.  Hopkins,  I  believe),  Hopkins  or  Charley  Tureman; 
but  I  am  satisfied  it  was  Hopkins.  (Novvr,  friend  Hop- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  281 

kins,  if  this  meets  your  eye,  please  excuse  me,  for  you 
know  it  is  every  word  true.) 

Well,  Johnson  (the  prosecutor),  who  was  one  of  those 
well-bred,  pompous  men,  with  a  great  corporosity,  sat 
back  in  his  chair,  with  his  thumbs  in  the  sides  of  his  vest, 
believing  that  he  had  the  case  dead;  but  for  once  he  was 
destined  to  learn  that  "dead  things  sometimes  crawl." 

I  walked  up  to  the  justice,  to  whom  I  was  an  entire 
stranger,  and  asked  to  see  the  papers  in  the  case.  He 
passed  them  over  to  me,  I  examined  them,  saw  that  they 
were  all  in  form,  that  the  charge  was  petit  larceny  for 
feloniously  taking,  stealing,  and  carrying  away  one  tur 
key,  being  the  property  of  Mary  Ann  Crowley,  of  the 
price  and  value  of  five  dollars,  all  of  which  was,  etc. 

I  asked  that  the  prisoner  be  arraigned,  and  he  pleaded 
not  guilty.  I  had  before  this  time  had  Uncle  Billy  point 
out  to  me  the  witness,  who  sat  on  a  bench  not  far  from 
the  door.  I  said,  "  Your  honor,  we  will  take  a  jury  in 
this  case."  A  venire  was  issued  and  Hopkins  went  out 
to  summon  the  jury.  As  soon  as  he  was  gone,  I  stepped 
along  to  where  the  witness  sat,  gave  him  a  tip  and  walked 
downstairs.  He  was  not  long  in  following.  When  we 
got  to  the  bottom  of  the  stairs,  I  remarked,  "  Well,  you 
are  the  witness  who  is  going  to  swear  against  Uncle 
Billy  to  send  him  to  jail."  He  began  to  half  whimper 
and  said,  "  I  did  not  want  to,  but  they  made  me  do  it." 
I  now  remarked  that  it  was  unfortunate,  as  I  understood 
from  Uncle  Billy  that  he  had  carried  the  turkey  part  of 
the  way.  He  said,  "  Yes,  I  carried  it  a  piece." 
"Well,"  said  I,  "  if  you  send  Uncle  Billy  below  for  steal 
ing  the  turkey,  1  shall  have  to  send  you  along  to  keep 
him  company;  for,  if  he  is  guilty,  you  &ve  particeps  crim- 
19 


282  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

inis"  He  said,  "  What  is  that?"  I  answered,  "A  party 
to  the  guilt."  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  what  can  I  do  ?  "  I 
remarked  that,  as  a  witness,  I  could  have  nothing  to  say 
to  him;  but  were  he  to  employ  me  as  his  counsel,  I  could 
tell  him  what  to  do.  He  said,  "Then  I  employ  you  as 
my  counsel." 

There  was  a  round  hill  less  than  half  a  mile  distant, 
and  on  the  other  side  was  what  was  known  as  Long 
Canon,  that  led  off  in  a  westerly  direction,  very  brushy 
and  rough.  I  said  to  him,  "All  right;  1  will  act  as  your 
counsel.  Do  you  see  the  top  of  that  hill,  yonder?" 
"  Yes,"  said  he.  "  Then  let  that  portion  of  the  flour- 
sack  on  the  opposite  side  to  your  face  disappear  behind 
that  hill  as  soon  as  your  legs  and  God  will  let  it  be  done." 
He  said,  "  They  will  see  me."  I  replied  that  the  coast 
was  clear,  and  bade  him  go.  And  it  was  one  of  the 
prettiest  against  time  (uphill  at  that)  that  I  ever  saw. 

I  immediately  walked  upstairs.  Cock-eye  Johnson 
(or  Jack  Johnson)  saw  me  return  alone,  when  he  ex 
claimed,  "  Where  is  the  witness  ?  I  will  bet  a  hundred 
dollars  that  cuss  has  run  him  off."  At  this  he  looked 
through  the  window,  through  which  I  was  watching  the 
progress  of  my  friend,  when  he  exclaimed,  "  Yes;  by  G — d, 
there  he  goes  !  "  Hopkins  had  just  stepped  into  the 
room,  when  he  and  Jack  Johnson  took  after  him;  but 
my  young  racer  soon  distanced  them  and  they  returned 
panting.  (Don't  think  that  L.  B.  was  then  the  venera 
ble,  white-whiskered  Hopkins  of  to-day,  in  San  Francisco; 
oh  !  no;  he  was  spry  as  a  cat  and  lively  as  an  eel.) 

Then  the  prosecuting  attorney  arose  in  dignity  and 
addressed  the  court,  asking  for  a  continuance  of  the  case, 
as  I  had  undoubtedly  tampered  with  the  witness  and 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  283 

run  him  off,  and  if  he  could  prove  it  on  me,  he  would  dis 
bar  me,  and  I  would  never  appear  again  in  court  as  an 
attorney.  When  he  was  done,  I  arose  to  oppose  the 
motion  for  a  continuance,  and  urged  the  court  to  dis 
charge  the  prisoner  for  want  of  prosecution.  I  further 
remarked  that  "  the  gentleman  prosecuting  the  case 
pompously  tells  you,  if  he  could  only  prove  that  I  ran 
young  Whitman  off,  he  would  disbar  me  and  that  I  would 
never  appear  again  as  an  attorney  in  court.  Now,  your 
honor,  I  ran  him  off — I  did  !  but  mark  ye,  not  as  a  wit 
ness,  but  advising  him  as  an  attorney  to  a  client.  I 
found  that  if  any  one  had  stolen  Aunty  Crowky's  turkey 
it  was  young  Whitman  who  was  guilty;  and  as  his  attor 
ney,  I  advised  him  to  run,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  he 
took  my  advice  to  the  letter  and  carried  out  my  instruc 
tions  admirably.  Now,  let  the  gentleman  disbar  me  if 
he  can."  The  court  was  indignant  and  gave  a  continu 
ance  for  two  days  (that  being  the  extent  of  one  continu 
ance,  and  not  more  than  six  days  in  all). 

The  same  day  of  the  race,  in  the  evening,  I  received  a 
note  from  my  runaway  client,  then  at  Colama  (ten  miles 
distant),  asking  me  when  he  could  come  back;  he  was 
afraid  some  one  would  jump  his  claim.  I  wrote  to  him 
to  stay  there,  as  he  valued  his  liberty,  until  I  told  him 
'  to  come,  and  that  I  would  look  out  for  his  claim  (which 
I  did). 

The  two  days  elapsed  and  no  witness !  I  again 
moved  to  discharge  the  prisoner.  Johnson  asked  for 
another  continuance  of  two  days,  which  was  granted. 
At  the  end  of  the  two  days,  I  demanded  trial;  but  the 
court  granted  continuance  till  the  statute  of  rights  was 
exhausted,  and  no  witness  being  heard  of,  I  forced  them 


284  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

to  trial.  They  introduced  Aunty  Crowley,  who  swore  to 
the  loss  of  the  turkey,  ownership  and  value.  They 
introduced  several  witnesses  whose  testimony  was  unim 
portant  (mostly  hearsay),  and  when  the  prosecution  was 
through  with  the  examination,  I  would  ask  the  witness 
if  he  knew  anything  about  Aunty  Crowley's  stealing 
Uncle  Billy's  turkey,  etc.  Thus  the  case  went  to  the 
jury,  who  acquitted  Uncle  Billy  without  leaving  the 
jury  box,  to  the  great  chagrin  of  the  justice  and  prose 
cuting  attorney.  I  then  directed  Uncle  Billy  to  go  and 
pay  Aunty  Crowley  for  her  turkey  and  make  his  most 
humble  apology  for  the  outrage ;  all  of  which  he  did,  and 
with  such  good  effect  that  the  old  lady  afterwards  declared 
that  she  did  not  believe  Uncle  Billy  ever  intended 
to  steal  her  turkey;  that  he  was  one  of  the  most  pleas 
ant  gentlemen  that  she  had  ever  met;  and  had  she  but 
known  him  then  as  she  did  now,  she  would  never  have 
mentioned  it,  for  it  was  nothing  but  a  little  freak,  and  that 
when  it  was  over  he  would  have  come  and  paid  for  the 
turkey;  that  was  what  Mr.  Sutton  would  have  done. 

Well,  llnclc  Billy  was  one  of  the  fortunate  miners. 
His  claim  turned  out  to  be  one  of  the  richest  in  that 
section  of  the  country,  and,  as  Uncle  Billy  often  renewed 
his  visit  -to  the  widow's,  some  of  the  miners  were 
wicked  enough  to  assert  that  one  of  two  things  was 
certain:  that  Uncle  Billy  either  was  paying  for  the  tur 
key  in  installments,  or  else  he  was  hanging  around 
to  steal  another.  But  it  turned  out  different  from  what 
they  expected;  for  at  the  end  of  six  months  Uncle 
Billy  stole  the  widow,  turkeys  and  all;  and  true  to  her 
opinion  of  Uncle  Billy's  honesty,  she  brought  no  action 
for  the  last  larceny. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  285 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

AN    EXCITING    HORSE-STEALING   CASE. 

ABOUT  the  time  of  the  occurrence  mentioned  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  a  party  by  the  name  of  Higgins 
came  to  me  and  wanted  to  retain  me  to  defend  him  and 
three  associates,  charged  with  stealing  eight  head  of 
mules  and  horses.  The  parties  had  been  arrested  in 
Placerville,  but  the  offense  was  charged  to  have  been 
committed  in  Sacramento  County;  hence,  under  the 
statute,  the  prisoners  would  have  to  be  tried  in  that 
county,  and  be  examined  for  committal  before  the  near 
est  and  most  accessible  justice.  I  allowed  myself  to  be 
retained  for  their  defense,  and  the  whole  city  was  very 
indignant  to  think  that  I  would  defend  them — even 
threatening  to  hang  the  prisoners  and  their  attorney 
with  them.  Threats  were  freely  exchanged,  and  finally 
the  officers  in  charge  of  the  prisoners,  in  their  zeal, 
boasted  that  they  would  take  the  prisoners  before  N. 
Greene  Curtis,  who  was  then  recorder  of  Sacramento 
City,  where  they  would  be  prosecuted  by  James  Hardy, 
the  "bull-dog"  prosecuting  attorney,  and  Norton  would 
get  into  deep  water,  where  he  could  neither  wade  nor 
swim. 

I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  would  block  their  little 
game,  if  possible,  and  get  an  examination  before  the  first 
justice  that  we  came  to  in  Sacramento  County.  The 
officers  were  going  to  take  the  prisoners  down  by  stage, 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  went  to  the  livery 
stables  to  procure  a  team  to  go  to  Salmon  Falls,  but  to 
my  surprise  I  could  not  get  a  team  or  horse,  for  love  or 


286  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

money.  So  I  determined  to  take  it  on  foot,  being  in  the 
full  vigor  of  manhood  and  very  active,  and  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  I  started  out.  Now  Salmon 
Falls  did  not  lie  on  the  Sacramento  road,  but  on  the 
American  River,  some  three  or  four  miles  north  of 
the  road.  My  plan  was  to  get  to  the  Falls  in  time  to 
get  out  a  warrant  against  the  officers  for  kidnapping, 
before  the  stage  should  pass  that  point.  I  continued  my 
journey  at  a  rapid  pace  for  about  twelve  miles,  when  I 
became  very  sick,  as  a  consequence  of  want  of  rest, 
having  been  up  two  nights  before,  studying  up  the  case. 
I  was  compelled  to  abandon  my  scheme  and  stop  at 
a  hotel,  at  a  stage  station,  and  go  to  bed,  requesting  the 
landlord  to  call  me  on  the  arrival  of  the  stage. 

When  the  stage  arrived  I  got  aboard,  and  found  my 
four  prisoners,  with  their  hands  bound  behind  them, 
in  charge  of  two  officers.  I  had  subsequently  learned  that 
the  next  hotel  was  kept  by  a  justice  of  the  peace  of 
Sacramento  County,  and  finding  an  opportunity  to 
whisper  to  one  of  the  prisoners,  whose  name  was  Wil 
son,  I  told  him  to  tell  the  rest  of  the  boys,  when  he 
came  to  the  hotel,  to  insist  on  getting  out  to  get  a 
drink.  Accordingly,  on  arriving  at  the  house,  they  all 
claimed  to  be  very  thirsty  and  were  permitted  to  get  out 
of  the  stage  and  go  into  the  house  for  a  drink.  T  followed 
the  officers  with  their  prisoners  into  the  bar  room,  and 
asked  the  landlord,  "Are  you  a  justice  of  the  peace 
of  Sacramento  County  ?  "  He  answered,  "  Yes."  Tasked, 
"  Are  you  duly  elected  and  qualified  ?  "  He  replied, 
"I  am."  I  further  inquired,  "Are  you  ready  to  take 
jurisdiction  of  this  case?"  He  answered,  "Yes." 

I  then  turned   to  the  officers   and  prisoners  and  said, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  287 

"This  is  the  nearest  and  most  accessible  justice  in  Sac 
ramento  County;"  and  to  the  prisoners,  "You  have  a 
right  to  your  examination  here,  and  if  you  go  any  far 
ther  you  are  fools;  you  have  a  right  to  resist,  and  if  these 
men  take  you  any  farther  by  force  they  are  no  longer 
officers  but  kidnappers."  Upon  this  the  officers  ordered 
the  prisoners  into  the  stage;  but  they  refused  to  go. 
One  of  the  officers,  named  Murphy,  drew  his  revolver, 
swearing  that  he  would  shoot  them  down  if  they  did 
not  get  aboard.  But  before  he  could  make  a  further 
demonstration,  I  covered  him  with  a  cocked  revolver, 
and  told  him  to  put  up  that  iron,  as  he  should  not  draw 
a  pistol  on  a  bound  man.  He  then  put  up  his  pistol, 
when  both  officers  swore  that  they  had  started  to  take 
the  prisoners  to  Sacramento,  and  to  Sacramento  they 
were  going  to  take  them.  The  prisoners  were  all  young, 
athletic  fellows,  and  there  ensued  one  of  the  most  lively 
struggles  I  had  ever  seen.  The  officers  took  them  one 
at  a  time  and  bound  their  feet,  and  by  main  force  piled 
them  into  the  coach,  when  we  continued  our  journey. 

On  our  arrival  at  Sacramento  the  prisoners  were  taken 
before  Judge  Curtis,  recorder  of  the  city,  whereupon  I 
moved  to  dismiss  the  prisoners,  as  the  court  had  no 
jurisdiction  of  the  case,  and  the  court  sustained  my 
motion.  Hardy,  the  prosecuting  attorney,  asked  the 
police  to  guard  the  prisoners  until  he  could  make  a  new 
complaint;  but  in  the  hurry  of  writing  his  complaint,  he 
omitted  to  state  the  venue,  and  I  again  moved  that 
the  case  be  dismissed,  as  the  prisoners  might  have  stolen 
the  horses  in  South  America,  where  that  court  would 
have  no  jurisdiction. 

The  prisoners  were  again  discharged,  and  were  again 


288  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

guarded  by  the  officers  until  Hardy  drew  another  com 
plaint,  and  they  were  once  more  arrested.  Not  hav 
ing  the  name  of  the  prosecutor  before  him,  he  omitted 
to  insert  his  name  in  the  complaint,  and  I  took  it  up 
and  read,  "  Blank  paper  being  duly  sworn,  deposes  and 
says" — and  added,  "  I  suppose  your  honor  cares  to  hear 
no  more  of  this.  I  move  that  the  prisoners  be  dis 
charged."  The  order  was  made,  dismissing  the  prison 
ers,  whereupon  Hardy  swore  roundly,  and  dashed  off 
another  complaint;  this  I  examined,  as  before,  and  found 
that  he  had  omitted  to  attach  any  value  to  the  stolen 
property.  I  read  the  complaint  to  the  court,  and  re 
marked  that  in  order  to  maintain  larceny  the  thing 
taken  must  be  of  some  value;  if  petit  larceny,  it  must 
be  under  the  value  of  fifty  dollars,  and  if  grand  larceny, 
it  must  be  over  the  value  of  fifty  dollars;  but  as  no 
value  was  stated,  the  court  must  presume  that  the  ani 
mals  alleged  to  have  been  stolen  were  fene  natnroe. 
Hence,  no  offense  having  been  alleged,  I  asked  that  the 
prisoners  be  discharged. 

By  this  time  Hardy  had  become  perfectly  cool,  and 
now  said,  "  Gentlemen,  I  propose  to  draw  up  a  com 
plaint;  "  and  he  did.  This  time  the  document  was  in 
every  way  sufficient,  and  I  demanded  an  examina 
tion.  The  prosecution  asked  for  a  continuance.  The 
court,  after  argument,  and  on  the  showing  of  the 
prosecution  that  there  were  four  others  engaged  in  the 
larceny,  that  the  officers  were  after  them,  and  that  there 
was  information  that  they  had  been  arrested,  decided 
that  the  examination  might  go  oh,  but  should  it  appear 
that  there  was  evidence  in  the  case  which  could  not  then 
be  obtained,  then  he  would  grant  a  continuance,  giving 
opportunity  to  produce  it. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  289 


The  examination  was  then  opened,  and  the  prosecu 
tion  called  Murphy,  the  constable,  who  was  present  at 
the  arrest,  to  the  stand.  He  swore  that  he  was  present 
and  'assisted  in  the  arrest  of  the  prisoners;  that  the 
horses  and  mules  were  not  found  in  their  possession,  but 
that  Higgins  had  confessed  to  the  officers  and  parties 
connected  with  the  arrest  that  they,  the  four  pris 
oners,  were  implicated  in  the  stealing,  and  that  the  ani 
mals  were  in  possession  of  the  other  four  partners  in  the 
matter.  In  cross-examining  the  witness  I  asked  him  if 
Higgins,  on  his  first  interrogation,  had  admitted  the  tak 
ing  of  the  animals.  He  replied,  "No;  at  first  he  denied  it." 
I  then  asked  him  how  he  had  come  to  admit  it  afterward. 
He  said  that  they  had  put  a  rope  around  his  neck,  drew 
him  up  on  a  limb,  and  let  him  hang  for  a  while,  then  let 
him  down  and  asked  him  if  he  was  ready  to  confess  the 
crime.  The  accused  again  told  them  in  reply  that  they 
had  not  taken  the  horses.  Then  the  party  proceeded 
again  with  the  hanging,  and  continued  the  process  until 
the  third  time,  when  a  full  confession  was  made,  as  here 
tofore  sworn  to.  Upon  this  statement,  I  moved  to 
strike  out  the  entire  testimony  of  the  witness,  as  the  con 
fession  had  been  extorted  by  duress.  The  motion  was 
sustained.  The  witness  also  swore  that  the  other  four 
prisoners  were  in  possession  of  the  animals,  and  that 
they  were  expected  to  be  in  the  next  day  ;  whereupon 
the  court  continued  the  case,  and  sent  the  prisoners  to 
the  prison-brig  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  other  parties. 

I  made  my  way  to  the  brig,  and  directed  the  prisoners 
that  when  their  associates  arrived  they  must  be  entire 
strangers  to  them,  and  leave  the  rest  to  me.  I  watched 
the  arrival  of  the  other  prisoners,  and  found  an  oppor- 


290  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

tunity  to  do  a  little  whispering  to  one  of  them;  told 
him  that  their  companions  were  on  the  prison-brig,  and 
that  the  only  hope  of  all  of  them  or  any  of  them  to 
escape  was  in  being  entire  strangers  to  each  other,  and 
to  tell  his  companions  what  I  said. 

My  instructions  were  strictly  carried  out.  The  last  lot 
employed  Abe  Ward  to  defend  them.  He  was,  I  think 
the  most  eloquent  man  I  ever  knew.  I  was  also  retained 
to  assist  him  in  their  defense.  I  asked  to  sever  in  the 
examination,  and  to  arraign  the  four  men  for  whom  I 
had  first  been  employed  as  counsel,  and  continue  their 
examination.  There  was  no  opposition  and  the  exami 
nation  proceeded.  The  prosecution  immediately  called 
the  four  parties  last  arrested;  each  one  as  he  took  the 
stand  was  asked  if  he  knew  the  prisoners,  and  each 
answered  that  he  had  never  seen  them  until  they  met 
them  on  the  prison-brig,  and  knew  nothing  of  them  nor 
their  antecedents.  I  again  asked  that  the  prisoners  be 
discharged,  and  asked  the  court  to  furnish  an  escort 
of  police  to  guard  them  out  of  the  city,  as  they  were 
threatened  by  a  mob.  The  court  granted  the  motion,  I 
bade  the  poor  devils  good-by,  and  they  departed. 

But  it  was  not  thus  with  the  other  four;  the  property 
was  found  in  their  possession,  and  there  was  no  means 
by  which  we  could  account  for  that  possession;  and  Abe 
and  myself,  after  fighting  the  thing  lor  three  days,  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  them  held  for  trial,  a  result 
which  I  did  not  expect. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  291 

CHAPTER    XXXV. 

OPPOSITION    TO    LYNCH    LAW. 

IN  the  spring  of  1853,  society  commenced  forming^ 
and  as  permanent  settlements  were  made  in  and 
about  the  mines,  the  civil  law  began  to  be  appealed  to  in 
the  settlement  of  difficulties  between  the  inhabitants  of 
the  country,  and  during  that  summer  many  of  us  con 
cluded  that  the  "  Hangtown  Oak  "  needed  no  further 
ornamenting  with  human  bodies  dangling  from  its  limbs; 
accordingly  we  organized,  some  eighty  in  number,  in  the 
interest  of  law  and  order,  and  determined  that  promiscu 
ous  hanging  should  be  stopped,  and  that  the  laws  of  the 
country  should  be  enforced  in  all  cases,  criminal  as  well 
as  civil. 

A  short  time  after  this  organization  was  consummated 
one  Hughes,  living  on  Hangtown  Hill,  near  Coon  Hol 
low,  in  a  fit  of  jealousy,  killed  a  man  with  an  ax,  both 
of  the  parties  being  drunk.  The  murderer  was  arrested 
and  brought  over  to  Placerville  by  the  civil  authorities, 
and  lodged  in  Squire  Doyle's  office  for  examination. 
He  had  been  there  but  a  short  time  when  the  miners 
from  Coon  Hollow  and  the  surrounding  country  gath 
ered  in  and  demanded  the  prison  er,  which  of  course  was 
refused.  The  parties  to  our  organization  were  scattered 
through  the  crowd,  and  in  an  unorganized  state.  The 
justice's  office  was  in  a  two-story  building,  on  the  second 
floor,  with  a  balcony  in  front.  The  sheriff  and  myself 
were  quietly  left  to  guard  the  stairs,  while  several  of  our 
organization  went  out  to  hunt  up  the  rest  and  organize. 
We  stood  upon  the  stairs  while  an  infuriated  mob,  con- 


292  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

sisting  of  several  thousand,  were  hooting  and  howling 
and  demanding  the  prisoner.  The  sheriff  and  myself 
firmly  held  our  position,  while  the  mote  desperate  part 
of  the  mob  was  thronging  the  lower  part  of  the  stairs, 
and  crowding  upon  us  with  threats  of  violence  unless 
we  permitted  them  to  pass. 

A  big  butcher  from  Coon  Hollow,  who  was  in  advance, 
attempted  to  wrest  my  arm  from  the  banister  where  I 
had  stretched  it  out  to  prevent  their  coming  up,  when  I 
presented  my  pistol  and  told  him  that  I  would  kill  him 
unless  he  desisted.  In  this  manner  we  held  them  back 
for  about  half  an  hour,  when  our  boys  were  fully  organ 
ized  and  made  their  way  through  the  crowd.  A  portion 
of  them  took  possession  of  the  stairs  to  keep  the  crowd 
back,  and  the  others  stationed  themselves  in  the  court 
room  to  insure  order,  while  the  prisoner  was  having  his 
preliminary  examination. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  bed-cord,  with  a  noose,  thrown 
over  the  prisoner's  head,  and  the  other  end  quickly 
thrown  from  the  balcony  down  among  the  excited  crowd. 
The  prisoner  was  dragged  up  to  the  banisters  of  the 
balcony  and  in  an  instant  more  would  have  been  over 
the  balcony  and  down  amongst  the  crowd,  when  R.  M. 
Anderson  (afterward  lieutenant-governor  of  the  State) 
jerked  a  i^owie-knife  from  his  boot  and  cut  the  rope. 
We  then  hustled  the  prisoner  into  a  small  back  room 
and  thence  up  a  back  stairway,  where  he  was  disguised 
in  a  different  suit  of  clothes,  which  had  been  smuggled 
in  for  the  purpose. 

We  had  in  the  meantime  procured  ten  saddle-horses, 
which  ten  of  our  organization  mounted  and  rode  up  in 
front  of  the  justice's  office.  One  man,  of  course,  did  not 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  293 

intend  to  ride  any  farther.  After  fully  disguising  the 
prisoner,  he  was  slipped  down  the  back  way  and  through 
the  store  below  into  the  street  and  amongst  the  crowd, 
which  had  entirely  surrounded  our  horsemen;  one  rider 
slid  from  his  horse  and  Hughes,  the  prisoner,  was  thrown 
into  the  saddle.  At  this  he  was  recognized,  and  the  cry 
from  the  mob  rang  out,  "  There  he  is  !  there  he  is  !  " 

There  was  now  at  least  ten  thousand  men  in  the  crowd, 
which  literally  packed  the  plaza,  and  as  they  rushed 
forward  every  one  of  us  on  horseback  drew  our  revolvers 
and  presented  them,  when  the  crowd  began  to  surge 
backwards;  and  the  throng  was  so  dense  and  the  press 
so  sudden  that  men  were  pushed  with  great  violence 
through  the  store  windows  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
plaza,  causing  a  fearful  crash.  We  then,  with  the  pris 
oner,  taking  advantage  of  the  confusion,  charged  through 
the  crowd  and  clashed  off  for  Coloma,  the  county  seat. 
We  arrived  safely,  with  our  prisoner,  and  I  do  not  think 
that  any  man  was  ever  more  anxious  to  get  out  of  prison 
than  he  was  to  giet  safely  in.  To  conclude  this  sketch, 
Hughes  was  tried,  convicted,  and  hanged  at  the  same 
time  that  Logan  was  hanged  at  Coloma,  we  having  had 
a  somewhat  similar  experience  with  Logan. 

There  was  no  more  lynching  in  El  Dorado  County. 
The  old  Hangtown  Oak  was  cut  down  and  principally 
manufactured  into  canes,  which  are  carefully  kept  in 
remembrance  of  the  days  of  gold  excitement,  riot,  and 
blood-shed. 


294  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  or 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

MYSTERIOUS  ROBBERY,  AND  THE  ROBBER'S  CONFESSION. 

AT  the  time  referred  to  in  the  preceding  chapter,  I 
was  a  widower,  and  had  erected  a  nice  dwelling- 
house  in  the  center  of  Placerville.  Before  erecting  the 
building  I  had  boarded  at  the  Eagle  Hotel,  kept  by  Mis. 
E.  W.  McKinstry,  and,  by  the  way,  she  had  a  history. 
She  had  a  fine  education  and  commanding  appearance, 
was  a  lady  in  demeanor,  and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage 
with  McKinstry  was  the  widow  of  Professor  Webb,  of 
Indianapolis,  Indiana.  She  came  to  California  in  1850, 
with  her  husband,  who  soon  sickened  and  died.  She 
was  rather  a  devotee  of  the  church.  Being  left  with  but 
little  means,  she  was  compelled  to  do  something  for  the 
maintenance  of  herself  and  little  child,  and  engaged  in 
baking  pies.  Having  the  sympathy  of  the  community 
generally,  she  was  extensively  patronized,  and  at  the 
end  of  two  years  had  accumulated  about  nine  thousand 
dollars  in  gold-dust,  when  a  man  by  the  name  of  Mc 
Kinstry,  rather  pleasing  in  appearance,  having  the  repu 
tation  of  being  wealthy,  was  introduced  to  her  by  the 
clergyman  of  her  church  as  .being  a  good  and  pious 
man.  He  was  represented  as  one  that  would  make  her 
happy  and  be  a  father  to  her  child,  and  his  suit  was  so 
insidiously  pressed  that  she  was  at  length  induced  to 
marry  him. 

The  marriage  proved  to  be  an  unfortunate  and  un 
happy  one  for  her.  It  came  to  light  that  the  preacher 
was  an  unscrupulous  villain,  and  that  McKinstry,  in  order 
to  induce  him  to  further  his  interests,  had  paid  him  five 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  295 

hundred  dollars.  This  was  the  common  report,  and  it 
reached  her  after  the  marriage.  She  also  discovered 
that  the  Eagle  Hotel,  which  McKinstry  was  erecting 
and  which  was  then  about  completed,  was  mortgaged 
for  nearly  all  that  it  was  worth;  and  in  fact,  when  his 
debts  were  paid,  he  was  not  worth  a  dollar.  Being  a 
woman  of  more  than  ordinary  intellect,  and  McKinstry 
being  a  weak  but  unscrupulous  man,  she  resolved  to 
make  the  best  of  a  bad  matter,  paid  off  the  incumbrances 
upon  the  house  with  her  own  money,  took  a  deed  to  the 
property  in  her  own  name,  and  managed  it  herself. 

She  conducted  the  hotel  about  two  years,  when,  from 
excitement  and  excessive  labor,  she  had  very  much 
wrecked  her  constitution  and  nerves,  and  she  and  her 
husband  had  lived  a  "  cat  and  dog  life."  At  length  she 
found  an  opportunity  to  rent  the  hotel,  and  sought 
another  i\  sidence.  McKinstry  came  to  me  and  pro 
posed  that  if  I  would  let  them  go  into  my  house,  which 
was  well  furnished,  I  should  have  my  room  and  board 
with  them  as  rent,  to  which  I  readily  consented. 

They  had  remained  several  months  in  my  house,  when 
the  Kern  River  gold  excitement  arose,  and  McKinstry 
decided  to  go  to  the  new  mines.  He  asked  me  if  it 
would  be  agreeable  to  have  his  family  remain  in  my 
house  while  he  was  absent,  about  four  months.  J  at  first 
objected  to  the  arrangement,  but  on  his  insisting  I  finally 
acceded  to  his  wishes,  and  his  wife  and  her  little  son, 
some  twelve  years  of  age,  continued  to  reside  in  the 
house. 

When  McKinstry  had  been  absent  some  two  months, 
two  or  three  letters  arrived  from  his  mother  and  other 
friends,  who  resided  in  the  East.  Woman-like,  his  wife 


296.  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

opened  the  letters,  and  discovered  that  he  had  been 
writing  defamatory  and  scurrilous  letters  in  regard  to 
her,  at  times  when  they  had  been  having  their  quarrels. 
These  letters  were  of  the  most  infamous  character,  as 
evidenced  by  the  replies.  She  came  to  me  crying  and 
showed  me  the  letters,  and  declared  she  would  never  live 
another  day  with  a  man  who  would  write  such  letters 
about  his  wife. 

Time  rolled  on,  and  McKinstry  did  not  return  until 
the  expiration  of  eight  months.  During  this  time  my 
sister  and  her  husband,  one  Dr.  Alexander,  a  man  whom 
she  had  married  at  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin,  and  who  was 
keeping  a  large  drug  store  there  at  the  time,  visited  me 
at  Placerville.  They  had  been  there  some  two  weeks, 
when  I  thought  it  would  be  a  good  opportunity,  they 
remaining  in  the  house  with  Mrs.  McKinstry,  for  me  to 
go  and  visit  a  ranch  for  which  I  had  traded  property  in 
Placerville.  It  was  situated  in  Monterey  County,  and 
the  trip  occupied  about  ten  days. 

On  my  return  home  I  found  Mrs.  McKinstry  almost 
crazy,  from  the  fact  that  she  had  been  robbed,  the  night 
before,  of  all  her  gold-dust,  amounting  to  about  seven 
thousand  dollars,  including  a  lot  of  fine  specimens  and 
some  valuable  jewelry.  Her  gold-dust  was  stored  in 
bottles,  while  the  specimens  and  jewelry  were  in  a  small 
tin  box,  and  as  at  that  day  there  were  no  safes  or  places 
of  deposit,  when  McKinstry  left  she  requested  me  to 
secrete  her  gold-dust  and  jewelry.  She  had  made  this 
request  because  of  an  attempted  rob'bery  a  few  nights 
after  her  husband  had  left  home.  It  was  between  nine 
and  ten  o'clock,  just  before  I  had  retired  to  bed,  Mrs. 
McKinstry  having  gone  to  bed.  She  and  Livey,  her 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  '297 

son,  slept  on  the  first  floor,  and  the  boy  came  running 
up  to  my  room  half  dressed,  and  said  they  heard  some 
noise  at  their  bedroom  window. 

I  quietly  slipped  out  around  the  house,  and  as  I  turned 
the  corner  I  received  a  blow  from  a  slung  shot,  or  some 
other  missile,  that  made  me  "  see  stars."  The  blow  did 
not  knock  me  down,  but  staggered  me.  I  turned  and 
ran  into  the  house  for  my  rifle,  and  rushed  out  again,  but 
could  see  no  one.  However,  on  examination,  I  found  a 
wash-tub  turned  bottom  side  up  beneath  their  window, 
with  a  bar  lying  across  it.  So  the  next  day  Mrs.  Mc- 
Kinstry  requested  me  to  secrete  her  dust,  specimens,  and 
jewelry.  I  took  the  gold-dust  in  the  bottles,  ripped  off 
a  portion  of  the  lining  in  the  kitchen  and  slipped  the 
bottles  in  between  the  wash-board  and  the  studding,  and 
carefully  put  back  the  lining  as  before.  It  was  a  story- 
an  J-a-half  house,  with  box  cornice.  I  took  the  box  of 
jewelry  and  specimens  to  my  room  and  slipped  them  in 
between  the  plate  and  the  rafters,  down  into  the  box 
cornice. 

On  the  night  of  the  robbery,  Dr.  Alexander  had  in 
vited  my  sister  and  Mrs.  McKinstry  and  son  to  go  to  the 
theater.  They  had  gone  from  the  house  some  little 
distance,  when  Dr.  Alexander  remarked  that  he  had 
forgotten  his  purse,  having  left  it  in  the  pocket-of  another 
pair  of  pants,  and  he  returned  to  the  house  to  get  it. 
He  was  gone  but  a  few  minutes  when  he  joined  the  party 
again  and  they  together  proceeded  to  the  theater.  On 
their  return  home,  on  entering  the  house  the  first  thing 
noticed  was  that  the  lining  in  the  kitchen  was  slit,  and 
next  the  gold  missing.  Mrs.  McKinstry  went  into 
her  bedroom  to  take  off  her  wraps,  and  there  found 
20 


298.  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


the  lining  slit  in  every  direction,  as  in  the  kitchen 
where  the  dust  had  been,  and  she  exclaimed,  "  Oh, 
my  God  !  I  wonder  if  they  have  got  my  specimens 
and  jewelry  too  !  "  Telling  the  doctor  where  they  had 
been  secreted,  he  made  search  and  soon  reported  that 
they  were  all  gone. 

These  were  the  circumstances  attending  the  robbery, 
and  the  woman  was  almost  frantic  over  her  losses.  I 
did  not  know  what  to  think  about  it,  but  had  a  vague 
idea  that  no  stranger  could  have  committed  the  robbery, 
as  she  did  not  believe  she  had  confided  to  any  person 
where  the  money  was  hid.  But  as  fate  would  have  it, 
McKinstry  had  arrived  the  same  evening  that  I  did.  It 
struck  me  as  possible  that  he  might  have  come  to  town 
the  night  before,  and  in  their  absence  had  perpetrated 
the  robbery.  And  yet  I  could  not  conceive  how  it  was 
possible  for  him  lo  have  any  idea  where  the  treasure  was 
hid.  His  wife  refused  to  have  anything  to  say  to  him 
when  he  returned  further  than  to  inform  him  of  the 
infamous  letters  she  had  received. 

My  suspicions  were  divided  between  Alexander  and 
McKinstry.  However,  I  said -nothing  to  any  person  as  to 
my  ideas  of  the  matter,  but  went  quietly,  after  dark,  and 
scattered  ashes  upon  the  paths  leading  to  and  from  the 
house,  so  that  in  case  anybody  should  go  in  or  out  they 
would  leave  the  impress  of  their  feet  upon  the  paths.  I  be 
lieved  that  if  any  person  about  the  premises  had  taken  the 
money  it  would  have  been  secreted  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  house.  The  next  morning  I  examined  my 
traps  of  ashes  and  discovered  that  no  person  had  entered 
or  left  the  house  by  any  of  the  regular  avenues.  On  the 
following  morning  I  commenced  a  close  search  of  the 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  299 

yard,  which  was  of  ample  dimensions.  In  this  search  I 
was  joined  by  the  doctor,  my  sister,  Mrs.  McKinstry, 
and  her  little  boy.  After  prosecuting  the  search  about 
two  hours,  I  took  quite  a  long  pole  and  went  to  a  shallow 
well  in  the  lot,  which  was  about  eight  feet  in  depth,  con 
taining  nearly  two  feet  of  water. 

There  had  been  an  old  wash-tub  sunk  in  the  well,  by 
placing  some  stones  in  it,  to  keep  it  from  falling  to  pieces 
by  the  drought.  I  commenced  punching  into  the  well 
and  also  into  the  tub  with  the  pole,  to  see  whether  I 
could  feel  anything  in  the  bottom,  when  the  doctor,  some 
distance  off,  exclaimed,  "I  have  found  it!  I  have  found 
it !  "  I  immediately  left  the  well  and  went  over  to  where 
he  was,  and  found  that  he  had  turned  over  a  flat  stone 
beneath  which  were  two  big  toads.  He  commenced 
laughing,  and  turned  it  off  as  a  capital  joke.  I  did  not 
return  to  the  well,  and  we  soon  abandoned  our  search  in 
the  yard. 

Time  passed  by,  and  when  it  became  known  that  the 
money  was  stolen,  speculation  became  rife  as  to  who 
were  the  guilty  parties.  In  a  short  time  Dr.  Alexander 
and  his  wife  moved  to  Santa  Clara  County,  and  there 
established  themselves  in  a  hotel.  When  they  left  and 
had  got  as  far  as  Stockton  I  procured  a  warrant  of  arrest 
and  had  them  and  everything  about  them  thoroughly 
searched;  but  there  were  no  traces  giving  any  evidence 
to  hold  them. 

When  the  affair  had  been  thoroughly  discussed  by  the 
community  at  large,  and  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
robbery  were  known,  it  was  generally  believed  that  I  had 
been  at  the  bottom  of  the  robbery;  that  I  had  got  Alex 
ander  and  his  wife  there,  had  disclosed  to  them  the  loca- 


300  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

tion  of  the  money,  and  had  gone  away  on  purpose  while 
they  should  perpetrate  the  'eed,  and  that  I  was  to  share 
in  the  b  >oty.  The  circumstances  were  so  suspicious 
that  I  became  completely  under  the  ban,  and  knew  no 
way  to  extricate  myself.  Mrs.  McKinstry  was  urged 
to  have  me  arrested;  but  she  would  as  soon  think  that 
she  had  stolen  the  money  herself  as  that  I  had  committed 
the  theft,  or  had  any  hand  in  it. 

McKinstry  continued  to  come  around,  and  he  and  his 
wife  were  in  a  perpetual  quarrel,  she  utterly  refusing  to 
live  with  him.  Finally  Mrs.  McKinstry  requested  me 
to  institute  suit  for  a  bill  of  divorce  on  the  ground  of 
extreme  cruelty,  he  having  struck  her  and  choked  her 
on  several  occasions.  This  I  declined  to  do,  on  account 
of  my  having  b.een  mixed  up  in  her  affairs,  but  I  advised 
her  to  get  a  good  lawyer  and  proceed  to  obtain  a  bill  if 
she  so  wished.  She  took  my  advice,  employed  W.  H. 
Brurnfield,  and  procured  a  bill.  But  before  proceeding 
she  left  my  house  and  occupied  a  room  in  her  hotel. 
There  were  several  parties,  including  some  of  the  first 
men  of  the  town,  who  proposed  to  marry  her;  but  their 
proposals  being  rejected,  and  finding  that  she  thought  a 
great  deal  of  me,  and  considering  previous  circumstances, 
I  proposed,  was  accepted,  and  married  her. 

We  had  lived  together  about  a  year,  when  I  received 
a  letter  from  my  sister,  Mrs.  Alexander,  stating  that 
Alexander  was  the  robber;  that  he  had  confessed  the 
whole  thing  to  her.  He  said  that  on  one  occasion  the 
cat  had  attempted  to  get  through  the  lining  of  the  house 
where  a  small  hole  had  been  gnawed  by  a  mouse,  which 
caused  Mrs.  McKinstry  to  become  quite  excited  and 
rush  for  the  cat  to  drive  it  away.  And -knowing  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  301 

she  had  the  gold-dust  stored  away,  it  struck  him  at  once 
that  this  was  the  place  where  it  was  secreted;  so  one  day 
when  his  wife  and  Mrs.  McKinstry  were  absent,  he  ripped 
off  the  lining  and  discovered  the  gold.  He  replaced  the 
lining,  and  the  night  they  went  to  the  theater,  when  he 
returned  on  the  plea  of  forgetting  his  purse,  he  cut  the 
lining,  then  ran  into  her  room  and  cut  the  lining  there. 
He  then  took  the  bottles  and  set  them  out  under  a  tree 
near  the  house,  and  again  joined  them  and  went  to  the 
theater.  On  their  return  to  the  house,  when  Mrs.  Mc 
Kinstry  discovered  that  her  dust  was  gone,  and  spoke 
pf  her  specimens  and  jewelry,  telling  him  where  they 
were,  he  concealed  the  box  in  his  coat  pocket  and  re 
ported  them  gone.  He  then  immediately  went  out  to 
"  hunt  for  the  robbers,"  taking  the  occasion  to  pour  the 
gold-dust  into  a  handkerchief,  tie  it  up  and  throw  it  into 
the  well. 

He  further  stated  that  I  had  come  very  near  finding 
it,  and  had  he  not  attracted  my  attention  by  unearthing 
the  toads,  I  would  have  found  the  treasure;  and  as  it 
was,  I  punched  several  holes  in  the  handkerchief.  But 
a  few  days  afterward,  when  all  were  absent,  he  ventured 
to  take  the  dust  out  of  the  well  and  put  it  and  the  speci 
mens  all  into  a  buckskin  sack  together,  hiding  the  jew 
elry  under  some  of  the  top  stones  of  the  well.  In  case 
of  accident  the  dust  and  specimens  could  not  then  be  so 
readily  identified.  He  therefore  hid  the  buckskin  sack 
outside  the  yard.  But  a  few  nights  afterward,  when  the 
women  thought  he-was  down  town,  he  took  the  dust  and 
carried  it  to  Prospect  Flat,  about  four  miles  from  Plac- 
erville,  and  buried  it  in  the  bank  of  the  South  Fork  Canal, 
under  the  end  of  the  bridge  where  the  road  crossed. 

My  sister  then  went  on   to  say  that  she  told   her  hus- 


302  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

band  that  unless  he  immediately  restored  the  stolen 
property,  she  would  leave  him,  as  she  could  not  live  with 
a  thief;  and  that  she  would  notify  me  at  once.  But  he 
begged  of  her  not  to  write  to  me;  that  he  would  go  and 
get  the  gold  and  place  it  where  I  could  get  it.  He 
wanted  to  go  to  San  Francisco  and  get  supplies  for  the 
hotel,  and  while  on  that  business  he  said  he  would  go  up 
and  make  the  restoration.  He  left  home  to  get  the  sup 
plies,  but  never  returned. 

After  his  wife  discovered  that  he  was  not  coining  back, 
she  wrote  to  me,  giving  me  the  foregoing  information, 
that  we  might  go  and  find  the  gold.  The  first  thing  £ 
did  was  to  go  to  the  old  well.  I  lifted  a  few  stones,  and 
soon  found  the  jewelry.  I  then  took  the  old  tub  out  of 
the  well  and  there  found  the  truth  of  Alexander's  asser 
tion  that  I  had  punched  holes  in  his  handkerchief,  as 
there  was  about  seventy-three  dollars'  worth  of  the  gold- 
dust  left  in  the  tub.  I  then  got  my  brother  William  to 
accompany  me,  and  went  in  the  night  to  the  South  Fork 
Canal,  to  the  place  described,  and  made  a  vigorous  search 
for  the  money;  but  we  found  nothing.  We  then  went 
into  the  ditch  and  into  the  water  in  hopes  of  finding  the 
prize,  supposing  that  it  might  have  slid  down  from  the 
bank  into  the  ditch,  but  were  again  unsuccessful.  We 
then  made  arrangements  with  the  ditch-tender  at  Negro 
Hill  to  shut  off  the  water  at  night  and  give  us  an  oppor 
tunity  to  hunt.  But,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  ,we 
never  found  the  dust,  and  the  only  conclusion  we  could 
arrive  at  was  that  Alexander  had  carried  it  off.  Subse 
quently  my  wife  lost  her  little  boy,  when  she  became 
nearly  broken-hearted;  and,  having  been  for  some  years 
afflicted  with  tape- worm,  she  sank  by  degrees  and  died 
at  the  end  of  four  years  after  our  marriage. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  303 

CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

PLACERVILLE  GUARDS — COUNTY  SEAT   CONTEST. 

r  I  Mi  ERE  had  been  considerable  difficulty  on  the  plains 
from  the  frequent  attacks  of  Indians  upon  the  immi 
grant  trains;  and  it  was  thought  proper  at  Placerville  to 
raise  a  military  company  to  be  ready  in  case  their  assist 
ance  should  be  demanded.  Consequently,  under  the  or 
der  of  Governor  Bigler,  I  proceeded  to  raise  and  organize 
a  company,  known  as  the  "  Placerville  Guards,"  and  was 
commissioned  captain.  It  being  the  third  military 
company  raised  in  the  State,  we  were  attached  to  no 
other  command.  We  were  uniformed  and  armed  by  the 
State,  were  well  drilled,  and  maintained  our  organization 
about  two  years,  having  been  called  out  on  many  occa 
sions  to  preserve  order  in  times  of  excitement.  Amongst 
other  special  duties,  we  were  called  out  to  act  as  guard 
at  the  execution  of  Mickey  Free  and  Crane.  We  also 
received  orders  to  proceed  to  San  Francisco,  on  behalf. 
of  the  State  government,  in  the  vigilance  committee 
affair;  but  some  opponents  of  the  move  stole  our  arms, 
and  thereby  stopped  the  expedition,  after  which  I  re 
signed  my  command,  but  not  until  the  trouble  was 
over  and  the  arms  had  been  restored. 

Placerville  at  this  day  was  one  of  the  leading  cities 
of  the  State,  and  there  was  a  great  contest  between  it 
and  Coloma,  Placerville  claiming  that  the  county  seat 
should  be  located  there  instead  of  at  Coloma.  There  was 
no  doubt  that  a  large  portion  of  the  voting  population 
was  in  favor  of  Placerville,  but  the  county  officers  were 
nearly  all  located  at  Coloma,  most  of  them  being  com- 


304  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

pelled  to  reside  there  by  statute  regulation,  and  having 
their  property  there,  they  were  very  much  opposed  to 
having  the  county  seat  removed.  John  Conness  and 
other  leading  citizens  of  Georgetown  were  in  full  sym 
pathy  with  Coloma,  while  the  western  part  of  the  county 
was*  rather  inclined  to  be  neutral. 

We  were  in  the  habit  each  year  of  circulating  peti 
tions  to  present  to  the  legislature,  asking  an  act  of  that 
body  removing  the  county  seat  from  Coloma  to  Placer- 
ville,  and  each  year  I  was  called  upon  to  canvass  the 
northern  part  of  the  county.  My  beat  included  George 
town,  and  I  knew  that  the  leading  men  of  that  place 
were  opposed  to  the  removal.  So,  upon  the  occasion  to 
which  I  now  refer,  I  went  to  every  tunnel  and  canon* 
around  the  place,  where  the  miners  did  not  care  a 
cent  whether  the  county  seat  was  at  Placerville  or 
Coloma,  or  whether  or  not  we  had  any  county  seat  at 
all.  Soliciting  in  this  way,  I  obtained  a  large  list  of 
names,  and  about  the  third  day  entered  the  town,  where 
I  obtained  but  very  few  signatures. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  hotel  and  put  up  for  the 
night,  and  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  I  was 
called  upon  by  a  deputation  from  Mr.  Conness  and 
others,  requesting  me  to  call  upon  them,  as  they  were 
holding  an  impromptu  meeting.  I  walked  over  to  the 
hall  where  they  were  assembled,  and  there  found  Con- 
ness  and  several  other  leading  magnates  of  the  town, 
about  fifty  in  all.  When  I  inquired  their  pleasure,  Mr. 
Conness  informed  me  that  I  had  been  reported  as  a  spy 
in  camp,  and  as  I  was  a  military  man  I  probably  knew 
the  fate  of  spies  in  general,  when  taken,  and,  though 
they  did  not  intend  to  inflict  the  extreme  penalty  on  me, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  305 

they  wished  to  know  my  business  there.  I  replied,  "  By 
Heaven,  they  lie  who  say  I  come  as  a  secret  spy;"  and 
continued,  "  I  am  here,  gentlemen,  circulating  a  petition 
asking  our  legislature  to  pass  a  law  removing  the  county 
seat  of  El  Dorado  County  from  Coloma  to  Placerville, 
and  I  hope,  gentlemen,  you  will  all  sign  it."  He  replied, 
"  Oh,  no,  we  can't  do  that,  but  I  will  tell  you  what  we 
will  do;  if  you  will  submit  a  bill  for  the  division  of  the 
county,  and  for  one  county  seat  to  be  located  at  George 
town,  and  the  other  at  Placerville,  we  will  all  sign  your 
petition." 

I  saw  their  trap,  and  knowing  that  the  people  of  El 
Dorado  County  were  bitterly  opposed  to  a  division  of 
the  county,  I  replied,  "  Mr.  Conness,  I  am  not  blessed 
with  such  pleasing  powers;  I  haven't  even  the  honor  of 
belonging  to  the  county  seat  committee;  but  if  you  will 
kindly  put  your  proposition  in  writing,  under  the  signa 
tures  of  your  committee  here,  I  will  submit  it  to  our 
county  seat  committee  for  their  action.  Then  they  "put 
their  foot  in  it,"  and  drew  up  and  signed  their  proposi 
tion. 

I  returned  to  the  hotel  at  once,  paid  my  bill,  mounted 
my  horse  and  was  off.  I  arrived  at  Placerville  about 
midnight,  immediately  called  up  Dr.  Obed  Harvey,  and 
the  committee  soon  assembled.  I  then  produced  the 
proposition  of  the  Georgetown  committee  for  their 
action.  They  said,  "  Well,  what  do  you  want  to  do 
about  it  ?  What  do  you  wish  us  to  do?"  I  said,  "Give 
it  an  emphatic  refusal,  by  resolution."  They  could  not 
see  what  object  there  was  in  it.  I  told  them  that  the 
fate  of  our  petition  in  the  western  townships  of  the 
county  depended  upon  prompt  action.  They  finally 


306  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

appointed  me  as  one  of  the  county  seat  committee,  and 
then  appointed  me  as  a  committee  of  one  to  reply  to  the 
proposition. 

I'drew  up  a  resolution  refusing  to  comply  with  the  re 
quest  of  theGeorgetown  committee,  rushed  to  the  printing 
office,  and  had  a  thousand  extras  struck  off;  and  at  half- 
past  four  in  the  morning  was  in  my  saddle,  and  with 
about  half  a  dozen  of  our  most  enterprising  citizens,  rode 
through  Diamond  Springs  "distributing  the  extras  con 
taining  the  proposition  of  Georgetown  and  the  refusal 
of  the  county  seat  committee  at  Placerville.  When  we 
arrived  at  Mud  Springs  we  met  Mr.  Conness,  who,  with 
his  crowd  from  Georgetown,  was  assiduously  distribut 
ing  the  news  that  the  Placerville  county  seat  committee 
were  going  in  for  a  division  of  the  county.  When  we 
came  up  they  positively  denied  having  ever  made  such 
a  proposition,  and  that  the  extras  were  all  a  lie;  where 
upon  I  pulled  out  Mr.  Conness'  proposition,  in  his  own 
handwriting,  and  showed  the  truth  of  our  statements. 
Mr.  Conness  and  his  crowd  sneaked  back  to  George 
town,  and  the  result  was  that  we  got  the  signatures  of 
three-fourths  of  all  the  voters  of  the  southern  and  w. st 
ern  parts  of  the  county. 

The  legislature  was  soon  afterward  convened,  Conness 
being  a  member,  and  the  petitions  were  presented. 
Now  the  rule  in  presenting  petitions  was  that  each 
party  should  verify  under  oath  the  genuineness  qf  the 
signatures;  so  when  Mr.  Conness,  who  was  opposed 
to  the  movement,  was  reported  to  have  said  that  the 
petition  from  Georgetown  was  a  libel  and  a  forgery,  and 
that  he  had  said  it  to  John  O'Connell,  of  course  all 
eyes  were  turned  upon  me  to  know  what  I  would  say 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  307 

or  do.  I  wrote  a  very  few  lines,  of  which  the  following 
is  a  substantial  copy:— 

"To  the  Honorable  John  Conness,  Legislative  Hall, 
Sacramento  City: — I  have  been  informed  that  you  stated 
on  the  floor  of  the  legislature  that  the  petition  pur 
porting  to  come  from  the  people  of  Georgetown  was  a 
libel  and  a  forgery.  I  hope  that  the  Honorable  John 
Conness  did  not  so  say.  If  he  did,  I  say  that  John 
Conness  is  a  liar,  a  paltroon,  and  a  coward,  and  if  he 
takes  exceptions  to  this  I  refer  him  to  my  friend  Dr. 
Keene,  of  the  Senate." 

I  passed  the  note  to  the  county  seat  committee,  with 
instructions  to  do  with  it  as  they  pleased.  Everybody 
was  crying  out,  "A  duel  !  "  and  I  expected  myself  that  I 
should  have  to  stand  up  to  the  rack;  but,  to  my  sur 
prise,  at  the  end  of  two  days  I  received  a  note  from  Mr- 
Conness,  in  which  he  denied  having  used  the  language, 
but  stated,  "What  I  did  say  was  that  I  did  not  see  the 
names  of  any  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Georgetown 
on  the  petition,  and  I  thought  there  must  be  some 
mistake  about  its  being  a  petition  from  the  citizens  of 
Georgetown;  and  this  I  did  not  say  on  the  floor  of  the 
legislature,  but  I  said  it  to  an  intimate  friend,  John 
O'Connell,  and  did  not  expect  him  to  tell  it." 

The  next  day  I  received  another  letter  from  Conness, 
stating,  among  other  things,  that  when  I  carne  to  know 
him  better,  perhaps  I  would  not  think  him  as  big  a  liar  as 
I  then  did.  The  petitions  were  presented  to  the  legisla 
ture  and  the  best  that  the  friends  of  Placerville  could  do 
was  to  get  a  bill  passed  submitting  the  location  of  the 
county  seat  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  county  at  a 
special  election,  the  day  being  fixed  by  the  legislature. 


308  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

During  the  interim  both  parties  were  electioneering 
their  best.  The  night  before  the  election  I  was  in  Clarks- 
ville  at  the  western  boundary  of  the  county,  when  a  cou 
rier  brought  me  a  note,  saying,  " Hasten  to  White  Oak 
Township;  Constantine  Hicks  is  preparing  to  practice 
a  mammoth  fraud  upon  the  ballots  of  that  precinct." 
I  accordingly  lost  no  time  in  getting  upon  the  ground. 
Now  there  was  a  valley  about  one  mile  wide,  through 
which  the  road  ran,  crossing  the  valley  at  right  angles. 
Hicks  kept  a  hotel  on  the  hill  on  the  east  side  of  the 
valley,  and  there  was  another  hotel  on  the  hill  on  the 
west  side  of  the  valley,  the  two  houses  being  one  mile 
apart.  The  note  I  had  received  informed  me  that  the 
committee  had  sent  a  man  over  from  Placerville  to 
assist  me  in  guarding  the  polls.  I  came  in  on  the  west 
side  and  stopped  at  that  hotel  to  observe  how  things 
were  going.  I  there  met  Gage,  who  was  drunk  as 
a  fool.  He  staggered  up  to  me  and,  with  a  drunken 
hiccough,  said,  "  We  have  got  Hicks;  he  is  all  right." 
I  looked  at  him  and  replied,  "  I  guess  Hicks  has 
got  you."  I  then  charged  him  not  to  touch  another 
drop  of  liquor  until  the  polls  closed  the  next  day.  He 
promised  that  he  would  not.  The  sun  had  set  before 
my  arrival;  I  saw  by  the  notices  of  election  that  the 
place  of  holding  the  polls  was  fixed  at  Hicks',  but 
written  underneath  was,  "  Changed  to  this  place,  by 
order  of  the  board  of  supervisors."  But  no  one  had 
signed  the  writing  to  show  authority  for  the  change.  I 
then  directed  Gage  to  return  to  Hicks'  and  stay  all  night, 
which  he  did. 

The  next  morning  I  was  up  in  good  time,  and  believ 
ing  that  there  was  no  danger  excepting  where  Hicks 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  309 

was,  I  walked  over  to  his  place,  where  I  found  Hick  and 
Gage  together.  I  engaged  Hicks  in  conversation  for 
some  time,  when  he  remarked,  "  It  is  eight  o'clock  and 
time  the  polls  were  open."  We  walked  together  to -the 
other  hotel,  where  he  got  a  cigar-box,  cut  a  hole  in  it  and 
made  a  ballot-box  of  it,  and  placed  it  upon  the  table. 
I  suggested  that. the  board  be  formed,  as  I  wished  to 
vote.  After  Hicks  and  some  others  present  had  held  a 
whispered  consultation,  Hicks  remarked  to  me  that  they 
had  no  statute  there;  that  he  had  sent  a  man  down  to 
Red  Canon  to  a  justice  of  the  peace  to  get  a  statute. 

Presently  a  big,  rough,  blustering  fellow  came  in  and 
personally  addressing  me,  said,  "  What  the  h — 1  are  you 
doing  here?  We  miners  generally  do  as  we  please; 
we  don't  want  any  of  your  kind  sneaking  about  here." 
I  replied,  "  I  can't  help  what  you  want,  I  shall  sneak 
around  as  long  as  I  please."  He  retorted,  "  I'll  be  d — d 
if  you  do,"  and  commenced  drawing  his  six-shooter.  I 
immediately  covered  him  with  a  cocked  revolver  and 
told  him  to  "  put  that  thing  back."  He  proceeded  to 
do  so,  when  another  one,  pretending  to  be  drunk, 
staggered  up  to  the  table  where  the  ballot-box  stood, 
brought  down  his  fist  and  smashed  it  to  pieces,  saying, 
"  D — n  the  ballot-box  !  who  wants  an  election  ?  " 

During  the  confusion  I  had  lost  track  of  Hicks,  and 
rushing  to  the  door,  I  looked  down  the  road  and  there  I 
saw  Hicks  on  his  little  black  mare,  going  at  the  top  of 
her  speed,  being  near  his  own  place.  I  started  right  away 
alter  him  as  fast  as  I  could  travel;  but  when  I  got 
there  I  found  the  polls  open  and  parties  proceeding 
with  the  voting.  I  hurried  to  the  polls  and  tendered  my 
vote,  and  counting  the  votes  said,  "  Gentlemen,  my  vote 


310  .    LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

stands  number  fifteen,  and  recollect  it  is  now  just  half- 
past  eight  o'clock;  ancl  farther,  the  statute  requires  that 
you  number  your  votes."  A  man  by  the  name  of 
Dr.  Rexford,  and  who  was  Hicks'  father-in-law,  was 
one  of  the  two  tallying  clerks.  He  immediately  com 
menced  at  one,  and  numbered  the  votes  up  to  mine, 
which  was  fifteen.  At  this  moment  Hicks  and  Gage 
walked  up  to  the  polls  (Hicks  had  been  showing  Gage 
some  of  his  fine  stock),  when  Hicks,  seeing  what  the  old 
man  had  just  done,  gave  him  a  withering  look.  The  old 
man  instantly  drew  his  coat-sleeve  across  the  figures  he 
had  just  made,  blotting  them,  and  declined  number 
ing  any  more  votes.  Names  were  recorded  on  a 
large  number  of  sheets  of  paper,  that  lay  underneath  the 
paper  on  which  they  were  keeping  tally.  Hicks  gave 
me  a  nudge  to  walk  with  him,  and  when  we  were  beyond 
earshot  of  the  others,  he  laughingly  said,  "  Norton, 
d — -n  you,  you  have  caught  me;  I  can't  outgeneral  you 
but  I  have  the  numerical  force,  and  I  shall  keep  my 
contract  with  Coloma.  I  agreed  to  give  them  a  thou- 
s  md  votes  from  this  precinct,  for  which  they  are  to  pay 
me  one  thousand  dollars.  I  don't  give  a  d — n  for  them 
after  I  have  got  my  money;  so  you  may  as  well  keep 
quiet  and  let  me  have  the  money." 

We  returned  to  the  house;  I  sauntered  around  and 
went  into  an  unoccupied  room  where  there  was  a  table 
and  several  benches,  with  papers  scattered  over  the  floor. 
It  looked  as  though  there  had  been  some  caucasing  done 
there.  I  examined  the  papers  on  the  floor  and  discov 
ered  some  long  slips  of  passenger  lists  cut  from  news 
papers.  I  quietly  gathered  them  up  and  put  them  in  my 
pocket,  and  again  mingled  with  the  crowd  around  the 
polls. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  311 

Now  the  White  Oak  precinct  would  legitimately  poll 
from  one  hundred  and  sixty  to  one  hundred  and  eighty 
votes.  I  stepped  to  the  table  wfcere  they  were  voting, 
stuck  my  fingers  beneath  the  sheets  where  the  legitimate 
votes  were  recorded  and  raised  them  up,  showing  sheet 
after  sheet  with  long  lists  of  names.  I  said  to  the  board, 
"  Are  you  going  to  count  these  out  on  me  to-night  ? ' 
They  hung  their  heads,  but  made  no  reply. 

At  the  proper  time  the  polls  were  closed,  and  they 
commenced  counting  the  votes,  turning  back  to  the 
commencement  of  the  spurious  list.  I  then  remarked 
to  them  again,  "Gentlemen,  before  I  would  be  guilty  of 
such  an  action  as  this,  I  would  suffer  my  right  arm  to  be 
cut  off  at  the  shoulder."  They  made  no  reply,  but  went 
on  with  their  count.  Hicks  gave  to  Coloma  his  one  thou 
sand  votes,  and  something  over.  During  the  progress 
of  the  count  I  noticed  several  names  which  I  had  on  the 
steamboat  list  in  my  pocket. 

Placerville  was  beaten,  when  charges  of  fraud  were 
brought  before  the  grand  jury  against  Constantine 
Hicks  and  the  election  board  of  White  Oak  Township. 
I  was  summoned  before  the  grand  jury  and  made  my 
statement.  I  told  the  jurors  that  if  they  would  examine 
the  returns  (one  copy  of  which  had  to  be  filed,  and  as  the 
old  doctor's  was  the  only  one  'that  was  legible,  it  had 
been  forwarded),  at  about  number  850  on  the  poll- 
list,  they  would  find  where  they  commenced  numbering 
from  one  to  fifteen  votes,  and  that  the  figures  would  be 
blurred  upon  the  paper  by  something  having  been  rubbed 
over  them  while  they  were  yet  wet;  and  at  this  point  the 
legitimate  voting  had  commenced.  The  grand  jury  sent 
for  the  list  and  upon  examination  found  it  just  as  I  had 


312  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

stated.  I  then  produced  the  steamboat  list,  which  I  had 
carefully  saved,  and  which  gave  the  grand  jury  infinite 
amusement  in  following  up  the  long  list  of  names  on  the 
steamboat  list  and  finding  them  all  recorded  as  voters  of 
White  Oak  Township. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  grand  jury  found  a  true 
bill  against  Hicks  and  his  associates,  but  the  case  never 
came  to  a  trial.  The  county  judge  and  the  district 
attorney  were  residents  of  Coloma,  with  their  interests 
all  centered  in  that  place,  and  when  the  case  was  called 
for  trial,  the  district  attorney  moved  to  enter  a  nolle  pros, 
which  the  court  sustained.  Thus  ended  the  Hicks 
swindle. 

The  next  year  Placerville  was  again  before  the  legisla 
ture  with  sufficient  influence  to  get  another  bill  passed 
submitting  the  county  seat  question  to  a  vote  of  the 
people  of  the  county,  when  from  some  strange  influence 
Hicks  had  become  converted  from  the  errors  of  his  way, 
and  White  Oak  Township  cast  a  very  large  vote  for 
Placerville,  which,  having  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast, 
was  declared  to  be,  and  still  is,  the  county  seat  of  El 
Dorado  County. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

A  TRIP  TO  MONTEREY  COUNTY. 

IN  a  previous  chapter  I  have  incidentally  mentioned  a 
business  tour  to  Monterey  County,  and  I  will  now 
devote  a  short  chapter  to  some    incidents  of  the  trip. 
It  was  in  the  summer  of   1853,  while  I  was  living  at 
Placerville,  that  a  man  came  in  from   South  San  Juan, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  313 

Monterey  County,  and  proposed  trading  me  a  ranch 
near  South  San  Juan,  for  some  property  interest  at 
Placerville.  I  got  some  information  that  satisfied  me 
as  to  the  character  of  the  ranch.  The  trade  was  made, 
and  in  the  course  of  time  I  was  desirous  of  visiting  my 
investment.  Accordingly,  I  proceeded  to  make  my 
arrangements  for  the  trip,  extensive  of  course,  and  con 
sisting  of  my  horse,  saddle,  bridle,  and  a  heavy  double 
blanket.  To  this  outfit  I  added  a  small  amount  of 
dried  beef  and  crackers,  to  be  used  in  certain  emer 
gencies,  which  emergencies  were  not  likely  to  arise 
while  skirting  the  foot-hills  through  the  mining  country 
which  I  would  pass  going  to  Stockton.  My  horse  was 
my  favorite  and  pet.  No  better  companion  was  needed, 
as  I  think  Billy  knew  more  than  one-half  of  the  human 
family.  I  never  had  to  carry  a  lariat  to  tie  him  with. 
I  would  always  turn  him  loose  when  I  wanted  him  to 
feed,  and  should  he  get  scared,  night  or  day,  he  would 
"  make  a  bee-line  "  for  me.  I  remember  on  one  occa 
sion,  while  on  this  trip,  I  turned  him  out  to  grass  and 
had  lain  down  under  the  shade  of  a  cotton-wood  tree 
and  gone  to  sleep.  When  I  awoke,  Billy,  having  fin 
ished  his  repast,  was  standing  with  his  head  over  me, 
dreaming. 

But  as  I  did  not  start  in  to  write  the  history  of  my 
horse,  I  will  proceed  with  my  story.  I  had  passed 
Stockton,  and  in  making  inquiries  as  to  the  route  was 
informed  that  I  had  better,  probably,  cross  at  Fire- 
baugh's  Ferry  and  go  down  to  and  through  the 
San  Juan  Valley.  But  there  was  a  shorter,  though 
dangerous  route;  I  could  cross  by  a  ferry  higher 
up  the  San  Joaquin,  pass  up  the  southerly  bank  of  that 
21 


314  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


stream  about  thirty  miles,  and  then  strike  across  the 
valley  to  the  San  Luis  Rancho,  and  go  through  the 
Pacheco  or  Robber's  Pass  to  South  San  Juan.  Feeling 
a  little  the  spirit  of  adventure,  and  having  Billy  under 
me  and  a  good  revolver  at  my  side,  making  three  of 
us,  I  thought  we  were  quite  equal  to  any  dangers  that  I 
was  likely  to  encounter;  hence  I  was  resolved  to  take 
the  shortest  cut.  I  came  to  the  river,  at  what  was 
called,  I  believe,  the  Woods  Ferry,  where  there  was  a 
crazy  old  scow  with  a  line  across  the  river  by  which  to 
pull  the  boat  across  the  stream.  Myself,  Billy,  and  the 
ferryman  all  aboard,  we  started  across;  but  when  in  the 
midst  of  the  stream,  the  line  parted  and  down  the 
stream  we  went;  but  we  hung  to  the  shore  line,  which, 
with  the  current,  swung  us  towards  the  bank,  upon  the 
side  from  which  we  started.  But  presently  we  came  in 
contact  with  some  flood-wood  lodged  in  the  top  of  a 
prostrate  tree  which  had  fallen  into  the  stream,  the  roots 
of  which  were  still  fast  in  the  bank.  The  current  was 
strong,  the  stream  being  narrow  at  this  point,  and,  as  the 
boat  struck  the  current,  the  upper  side  was  drawn  under, 
precipitating  Billy  into  the  stream;  but  he  soon  made 
the  same  shore  whence  we  had  come,  while  the  ferryman 
and  myself  scrambled  upon  the  flood -wood  and  brush, 
thence  to  the  fallen  tree,  and  walked  to  the  shore,  the 
only  catastrophe  to  me  thus  far  being  the  slight  wetting 
of  my  blanket. 

The  ferryman  had  a  small  skiff  in  which  he  said  he 
could  get  me  across;  but  how  about  the  horse?  I  in 
formed  him  that  Billy  would  take  care  of  himself.  I 
removed  the  saddle,  bridle,  and  blankets,  put  them  into 
the  skiff,  and  we  were  soon  on  the  opposite  shore.  As 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  315 

s"oon  as  we  were  landed,  I  called  to  Billy,  who  was  un 
concernedly  grazing.  As  soon  as  he  heard  my  voice  he 
looked  up,  and  seeing  me  on  the  opposite,  shore,  he 
plunged  in  and  soon  joined  us.  I  followed  up  the  stream 
for  several  miles  without  seeing  a  house  or  habitation  of 
any  kind;  but  at  length  I  came  to  two  quite  large  wooden 
structures,  and  I  believe  there  was  a  post-office  there.  I 
am  sure  of  one  thing,  at  least,  I  broke  my  fast  at  that 
place. 

I  continued  up  the  stream  for  a  long  distance,  in 
search  of  a  certain  unoccupied  house,  where  I  was  to 
leave  the  river  and  strike  across  the  plain  to  the  San 
Luis  Rancho.  After  many  miles  of  travel,  I  concluded  I 
must  soon  reach  a  habitation,  as  I  saw  far  in  the  distance 
a  large  flock  of  sheep,  as  I  supposed;  but,  on  a  nearer 
approach,  I  discovered  that  they  were  not  sheep,  but 
antelope;  in  fact,  it  was  the  largest  band  of  antelope  I 
ever  saw.  But  in  course  of  time,  without  further  advent 
ure,  I  came  to  the  old-  house  and  there  found  a  trail 
leading  across  the  valley,  said  to  be  twenty-one  miles,  to 
the  San  Luis  Rancho.  I  had  not  rode  far  until  I  saw  a 
vast  band  of  wild  horses  that  came  running  directly 
towards  me.  They  came  to  within  twenty  or  thirty  rods 
of  me,  with  heads  and  tails  in  the  air,  snorting  and  play 
ing.  Then  they  commenced  running  around  me  and 
fairly  encircled  me,  but  always  keeping  at  a  respectful 
distance.  This  operation  they  kept  up  for  an  hour  or 
more,  when  they  beat  a  hasty  retreat  towards  the  San 
Luis  Rancho,  at  which  place  I  arrived  just  before  sunset. 

There  I  found  a  boy  about  twelve  years  of  age,  who 
spoke  very  good  English.  I  asked  him  if  I  could  turn 
my  horse  out  to  feed  and  stay  all  night  at  the  ranch.  He 


316  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

informed  me  that  I  could,  and  showed  me  where  to 
turn  my  horse  out.  I  noticed  that  there  was  a  very  nice 
house  on  the  place,  and  another  quite  large  but  rough 
structure.  He  took  me  to  the  latter  place  and  told  me 
that  was  the  men's  quarter,  and  that  I  could  get  my 
supper  there.  When  he  left  me  I  walked  round  the 
premises,  and  noticed  some  very  long  poles,  or  small- 
sized  trees,  with  the  bark  peeled  off,  placed  in  crotches 
set  in  the  ground.  Each  of  these  poles  was  from  sixty 
to  seventy  feet  long,  lying  in  the  crotches  horizontally 
and  parallel  with  each  other.  I  could  not  imagine  what 
they  were  for;  but  presently  up  rode  a  Mexican,  armed 
with  revolver  and  knife.  Dismounting  he  took  off  the 
saddle  and  put  it  on  one  of  these  smooth  poles;  then 
came  another  and  another  until  the  poles  were  filled 
with  saddles,  and  before  the  night  fairly  closed  in,  there 
were  swarming  around  thi2  yard  fifty  or  sixty  as  positive 
specimens  of  Mexican  bandits  as  one  ever  saw,  all 
armed  like  the  first.  I  was  astonished  and  scared.  In 
fact,  I  did  not  know  what  to  do.  The  boy  came 
around,  and  I  asked  him  who  owned  the  place.  He 
informed  me  that  his  father  owned  it.  I  asked  his  fath 
er's  name.  He  told  me  that  it  was  Joaquin  Balara. 
That  was  sufficient.  Joaquin  Murietta  had  just  been 
killed  and  a  part  of  his  band  captured,  and  the  name 
Joaquin  was  all  I  sought  to  know.  But  what  was  I  to 
do  ?  The  "  Robber's  Pass  "  lay  before  me  through  the 
mountains.  Escape  would  be  impossible.  At  last  I 
concluded  that  the  only  thing  that  I  could  do  was  to  take 
my  chances  among  them.  I  had  in  my  life  wormed  out 
of  many  a  tight  spot,  and  perhaps  I  might,  by  hook  or 
crook,  get  out  of  that.  But  one  thing  I  had  resolved 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  317 

upon,  and  that  was,  if  attacked,  I  would  sell  my  life  as 
dearly  as  possible. 

In  a  short  time  there  were  immense  kettles  of  bacon 
and  beans  produced,  with  tin  plates  to  eat  from,  and  tin 
cups  for  coffee,  and  bread  but  no  butter.  I  joined  in  and 
made  a  very  satisfactory  meal.  The  crowd  soon  com 
menced  singing,  and  seemed  to  heartily  enjoy  them 
selves.  I  could  understand  much  of  their  conversation, 
but  when  they  addressed  me,  I  pretended  not  to  under 
stand  one  word.  The  evening  wore  on,  and  I  began  to 
look  for  a  place  to  roost.  I  noticed  that  there  was  a 
space  under  the  stairs  about  seven  feet  long,  where  my 
head  would  be  close  to  one  wall,  my  feet  to  the  stairs, 
and  a  wall  back  of  me,  leaving  only  the  front  for  an  at 
tack.  Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  all  had  retired,  the 
greater  number  going  up-stairs.  I  was  very  tired  from 
the  day's  exertions,  and  about  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  I 
forgot  myself,  and  was  disappointed  to  awake  in  the 
morning  without  having  my  throat  cut. 

I  got  up  and  started  out,  and  in  a  short  time  the  boy 
of  the  previous  evening  came  around.  I  then  for  the 
first  time  made  inquiry  as  to  those  men.  Before  this  I 
had  not  deemed  an  inquiry  necessary.  I  thought  I 
understood  what  they  were.  But  the  young  fellow  soon 
enlightened  me.  'He  said  they  were  his  father's  ranch- 
eros;  that  his  father  had  about  io,OOO  head  of  sheep  and 
10,000  head  of  cattle,  and  about  8,000  horses;  that  the 
reason  the  men  were  so  heavily  armed  was  to  protect 
the  sheep  ancf  calves  from  the  wild  beasts.  He  then 
showed  me  the  skins  of  wolves,  panthers,  California  lions, 
and  two  grizzly  bears.  This  showed  me  the  necessity 
of  arming  the  men,  and  that  I  had  been  "  badly  sold,'' 


318  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  had  my  fright  all  for  nothing.  The  boy  said  that  he 
had  been  going  to  school  in  San  Francisco,  where  he 
learned  English;  that  he  was  going  to  be  a  lawyer.  I 
informed  him  that  I  was  a  lawyer.  He  left  me,  but  in 
a  short  time  he  returned  and  invited  me  to  go  to  the 
house;  his  father  wanted  to  see  me.  I  accompanied  him 
and  he  introduced  me  to  his  father,  who  apologized  for 
not  inviting  me  to  the  house  the  night  before,  saying  he 
had  come  home  late  in  the  evening.  Joaquin  Balara 
was  a  fine-looking  man  of  about  forty  years,  a  Castilian. 
He  invited  me  to  breakfast.  He  had  two  or  three 
other  guests,  and  the  boy,  acting  as  my  interpreter,  told 
his  father  where  I  was  going.  He  informed  me  that  it 
would  be  very  unsafe  for  me  to  go  through  the  pass 
alone,  as  several  men  had  been  killed  in  that  pass,  which 
gave  it  the  name  of  the  "  Robber's  Pass."  In  fact,  but 
a  few  days  before,  a  man  was  found  hanging  to  a  tree. 
But  as  one  of  his  'guests  was  to  go  through  that  morn 
ing,  and  he  was  going  to  furnish  him  an  escort,  I  could 
accompany  them  in  safety;  an  offer  of  which  I  very 
willingly  availed  myself. 

We  had  a  very  pleasant  trip.  My  companion  gave 
me  the  benefit  of  what  little  English  he  possessed;  while, 
in  exchange,  I  gave  him  my  best  Spanish.  After  we 
reached  the  valley  lying  between  the  foot-hills  and  San 
Juan,  we  struck  a  forest  of  mustard  in  which  a  man  on 
horseback  could  have  easily  got  lost  had  it  not  been  for 
the  trail.  I  was  on  a  fair-sized  horse,  but  the  mustard 
was  several  feet  above  my  head  and  very  thick  on  the 
ground.  After  passing  through  that,  we  reached  the 
wild-oats  country,  and  the  oats  were  so  rank  in  many 
places  that  they  had  fallen  down.  From  the  appear- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  319 


ance  of  the  country,  there  must  have  been  several  thou 
sand  acres  that  would  have  produced,  when  harvested, 
forty  or  fifty  bushels  to  the  acre. 

From  this  valley  I  crossed  a  rolling  country  for  a 
short  distance,  when  I  brought  up  at  San  Juan,  which 
then  consisted  of  a  hotel,  store,  and  blacksmith  shop. 
I  put  up  my  horse,  and,  as  I  had  a  four  or  five  days' 
beard  on  my  face,  my  next  inquiry  was  for  a  barber. 
The  landlord  informed  me  that  there  was  no  barber  in 
town,  but  the  blacksmith  would  shave  me.  I  walked 
over  to  the  shop  and  asked  him  if  he  shaved.  He  was 
a  Frenchman,  and  answered,  "Oh  yas,  I  shaves  some 
times."  And  when  he  had  drawn  his  hot  iron  on  the 
anvil,  he  threw  down  his  hammer  and  tongs  and  di 
rected  me  to  sit  down  on  the  little  bench  used  for  sharp 
ening  horseshoe  nails,  when  he  took  from  the  jamb  of 
his  forge  a  huge  razor.  It  looked  more  like  a  cleaver 
than  a  razor,  and  I  never  knew  whether  the  blacksmith 
forged  it  out  or  whether  it  was  Vulcan's  first  attempt 
at  edge  tools  before  the  siege  of  Troy.  At  least,  it 
was  a  hard-looking  specimen.  He  gave  it  a  few  rakes 
over  a  strop  nailed  to  the  wall,  daubed  some  lather  on 
my  face,  and  commenced  -operations.  The  first  rake 
over  my  face  brought  the  beard  out  by  the  roots,  with 
my  tears,  which  had  the  effect  to  make  me  jump  about  a 
foot  from  my  seat;  then  another  and  another  in  rapid 
succession,  when  I  exclaimed  in  no  very  gentle  voice, 
"For  God's  sake,  hold  on!"  and  he  said,  "Vat  ish  de 
matter — he  bool?"  "Pull,"  roared  I,  "pull  is  no  name 
for  it!"  "Oh  veil  I  trish  another."  He  then  took 
down  its  twin  brother,  went  through  the  same  whetting 
process  as  before,  and  again  commenced  work,  when  I 


320  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

again  brought  him  to  a  parley  by  asking  him  if  he  was 
tired.  He  replied,  "  Oh  no,  me  not  tired."  I  then  asked 
him  if  he  was  sure  the  handle  would  not  break;  for,  if  it 
did,  we  would  be  in  a  bad  fix.  He  assured  me  that  it 
was  strong,  and  that  there  was  no  danger,  and  proceeded. 
In  time,  what  he  had  not  cut  off  he  had  pulled  out  by 
the  roots,  or  so  tangled  down  as  to  hide  its  bushy  ap 
pearance,  and  concluded  his  labors,  leaving  me  sitting  on 
the  bench.  After  demanding  and  receiving  his  two  bits, 
he  proceeded  with  his  blacksmithing,  as  calmly  as  though 
he  had  not  tried  to  commit  murder.  "  Well,"  I  said, 
"what  about  washing  this  lather  from  my  face?"  After 
some  instructions  as  to  locality,  I  found  an  old  tin 
wash-dish  outside  of  the  shop,  with  comb  and  towel  to 
match  the  rest  of  the  operations.  When  I  had  washed 
and  snagged  out  my  hair,  I  gathered  up  a  club  and  re 
turned  to  the  hotel,  went  for  the  landlord  and  threatened 
him  with  annihilation.  He  readily  comprehended  the 
joke,  and  said  I  was  not  the  only  one  who  had  threat 
ened  his  life  for  the  same  offense. 

I  took  a  run  over  the  rancho,  placed  it  in  the  hands  of 
an  agent,  and  returned  to  Placerville  by  the  same  route 
that  I  came,  having  a  narrow  escape  from  a  set  of  cut 
throats  on  returning  through  the  Pacheco  Pass. 

I  will  here  take  occasion  to  sav  that,  in  1883,  on  a 
journey  from  Los  Angeles  to  San  Francisco,  as  we  came 
flying  along  on  a  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  train,  I  could 
but  wonder  at  the  change  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley. 
Now,  as  we  approached,  it  opened  out  before  us  in  all 
its  beauty  and  grandeur — with  its  snug  and  cozy  fann.- 
houses,  and  cities,  towns,  and  villages  on  every  side. 
Yes,  thirty  years  have  changed  the  face  of  the  entire 
valley. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  321 

CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

DISTRICT  ATTORNEY   IN   WESTERN    UTAH. 

IN  1855,  the  Mormons  came  into  Carson  Valley 
in  force  to  make  a  settlement,  claiming  it  to  be 
a  portion  of  Utah.  They  organized  and  established 
themselves  in  Carson  County.  Elder  Orson  Hyde  was 
sent  out  as  the  leading  spirit  of  the  enterprise,  and,  by 
the  way,  they  could  not  have  sent  a  better  man  for  the 
position.  The  third  judicial  district  of  Utah  was  organ 
ized,  and  W.  W.  Drummond  was  appointed  judge  of  the 
United  States  district  court.  Orson  Hyde  was  elected 
probate  judge,  but  they  had  no  district  attorney,  and 
Hyde  came  to  Placerville  and  insisted  upon  my  taking 
the  appointment.  I  consented  and  accompanied  him  to 
Carson  Valley. 

Genoa  was  a  little  center,  where  Col.  John  Reese  re 
sided;  there  was  a  store,  a  saw  and  grist-mill,  and  the 
place  was  dignified  with  the  title  of  the  village  of  Genoa. 
On  our  arrival  I  found  some  two  hundred  Mormons 
camped,  with  tents,  covered  wagons,  and  shanties.  I 
soon  found  myself  surrounded  with  Mormons,  and  my 
blankets,  saddle-bags,  overcoat,  and  traps  generally  were 
stripped  from  my  horse  and  thrown  down  in  a  large  tent 
which,  from  the  appearance  of  things,  seemed  to  be  the 
tent  of  Hyde;  and  all  seemed  ready  to  perform  the  duties 
of  body-guard  generally  to  Hyde.  They  rushed  around 
and  soon  had  a  substantial  meal  prepared,  to  which  the 
elder  and  myself  did  ample  justice. 

After  dinner  I  went  back  to  the  big  tent  (which,  by 
the  way,  was  subdivided),  and  commenced  looking  for 


322  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

my  baggage,  as  I  wanted  a  cigar  from  my  saddle-bags. 
But  imagine  my  surprise  and  chagrin,  for  on  examina 
tion  there  was  not  a  vestige  of  my  plunder  where  I  had 
left  it,  or  in  sight.  I  did  not  know  what  to  do.  I  did 
not  feel  like  coming  out  and  getting  into  a  row  with  the 
Mormons  the  first  thing  on  my  arrival,  and  Hyde  had 
gone  out  among  his  people  to  attend  to  some  of  his  many 
duties.  Well,  I  was  perplexed,  but  concluded  on  the 
whole  to  forego  my  cigar  and  await  the  return  of  Hyde. 
On  his  return  I  rather  shamefacedly  told  the  elder  that 
my  things  had  all  disappeared  and  I  could  not  imagine 
what  had  become  of  them.  I  noticed  abroad  grin  over 
spread  the  old  man's  face,  when  he  remarked  that  we 
would  go  and  see  if  we  could  find  them.  On  entering 
the  tent  he  addressed  one  of  the  lackeys  and  asked 
him  what  was  done  with  the  gentleman's  things.  He 
immediately  led  the  way  to  a  •small  room  partitioned 
off  with  canvas.  Upon  one  side  of  the  room  was  a  long 
pole  on  two  crotches  set  in  the  ground,  and  there,  neatly 
brushed,  hung  all  my  clothes,  saddle-bags,  and  fixtures; 
and  I  soon  discovered  that  I  was  not  a  subject  to  be 
robbed  by  the  Mormons,  but  rather  to  be  treated  a's  a 
favore.l  guest. 

This  was  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  1855.  The 
weather  was  warm,  and  the  old  elder,  or  rather  the  pro 
bate  judge  of  Carson  County,  and  myself  stowed  our 
selves  away  in  the  tent,  rolled  in  our  blankets  for  the 
night.  We  had  not  lain  long  before  we  had  a  realizing 
sense  that  there  were  about  as  many  fleas  as  there  were 
grains  of  sand  under  us,  and  that  we  were  surrounded 
and  covered  with  them  to  that  extent  that  we  were  com 
pelled  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  and  seek  other  quarters. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  323 

There  was  a  small  hay-stack  near  by,  of  which  we  took 
possession.  We  shook  our  clothing  and  blankets  and 
again  turned  in;  but  it  was  no  go.  The  old  judge  could 
not  stand  the  assault  as  well  as  I  could;  he  had  a  buffalo 
rote,  and  he  finally  got  up,  divested  himself  of  every 
stitch  of  clothing,  and  rolled  himself  in  his  robe,  the  flesh 
side  next  to  his  body,  and  then  curled  down  on  the  hay 
and  was  soon  asleep.  But  as  for  myself,  I  had  no  alter 
native  but  to  surrender  at  discretion  and  submit  to  the 
torture  until  morning.  How  the  Mormons  stood  it  I  do 
not  know. 

Now  there  was  a  beautiful  cold  mountain  stream  flow 
ing  through  the  place,  running  and  sparkling  over  its 
sandy  bed,  and  a  large  bowlder  had  parted  the  stream  a. 
short  distance  above  our  quarters,  and  left  a  little  island 
of  sand  about  ten  feet  wide  and  twenty  feet  long,  with  a 
nice  flow  of  water  each  side  of  it.  I  told  the  judge  that 
I  thought  we  might  yet  get  the  best  of  the  fleas;  that  we 
could  put  a  couple  of  armfuls  of  hay  in  the  stream  long 
enough  to  get  the  fleas  out  of  it,  then  take  it  out  onto 
the  little  islet,  spread  it  out  in  the  sun  and  let  it  dry; 
then  soak  our  blankets  for  an  hour,  wring  them  out  and 
let  them  dry;  then  put  some  poles  and  brush  on  the  sand 
and  put  our  hay  onto  that,  and  thus  fortify  against  the 
fleas. 

The  idea  struck  the  old  judge  favorably,  and  before 
night  his  slaves  had  carried  the  whole  thing  out  to  per 
fection, -and  it  proved  a  success.  And  before  the  week 
had  elapsed  there  were  at  least  a  dozen  little  islands 
with  similar  sleeping  arrangements  in  the  stream,  made 
by  throwing  in  rocks  above  and  sand  below.  It  worked 


324  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

well,  but  it  was  one  of  the  inventions  for  which  I  never 
applied  for  a  patent. 

After  a  time  our  court  was  fairly  organized,  and  when 
the  business  of  the  term  was  concluded,  Orson  Hyde 
and  myself  had  become  fast  friends.  I  found  that  the 
old  man  possessed  a  fine  intellect,  and  a  kind  and  genial 
disposition,  all  backed  up  by  a  liberal  education.  He 
had  a  versatile  mind,  and  was  possessed  of  great  energy 
of  character.  This  was  about  the  time  when  there  was 
quite  a  dispute  regarding  the  location  of  the  line  between 
California  and  Utah.  The  old  man  and  myself  took 
observations  by  the  north  star,  not  through  a  goose-quill, 
but  an  instrument  about  as  simple.  I  say  we  took 
observations;  well,  he  took  the  observations  and  I  looked 
on.  We  lay  by  the  same  camp-fire  and  slept  under  the 
same  blankets,  and  Mormon  elder  as  he  was,  I.  learned 
to  love  the  old  man.  In  fact  I  have  heard  him  preach 
ofttimes;  his  text  was  always  from  the  Bible,  and  was 
always  of  that  instructive  character  that  would  interest 
intelligent  hearers.  And  during  all  the  time  I  was  with 
him  I  never  heard  him  preach  one  of  their  doctrinal 
.sermons.  In  fact,  I  got  the  statement  from  the  Mor 
mons  that  he  had  such  differences  with  the  church  that 
he  had  withdrawn  on  two  or  three  different  occasions, 
but  each  time  the  leaders  had  pursued  him  until  the 
matter  had  been  fixed  up  between  them.  The  following 
extracts  of  letters  will  show  something  of  the  feelings  he 
entertained  towards  me:— 

CAPT.  L.  A.  NORTON — My  Dear  Sir:  .  .  •  .  To 
illustrate  the  present  state  of  political  affairs,  allow  me 
here  to  relate  an  anecdote.  Several  years  ago,  a  young 
lawyer  in  the  little  town  of  K ,  in  Ohio,  by  the 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  325 

name  of  N.  M.,  got  very  drunk,  and  cast  anchor  under 
the  lee  of  a  worm  fence  by  the  roadside,  to  snooze  off 
the  great  quantity  of  steam  which  the  fire  of  alcohol 
had  raised  or  caused  to  generate  in  his  boiler.  After 
enjoying  this  repose  for  a  time,  he  was  abruptly  dis 
turbed  in  his  spirit  dreams  by  the  rough  "  hallo  "  of  a  pass 
ing  stranger.  "  Get  up  here,"  said  the  stranger,  "  who  are 
you?"  The  inebriate  answered  (rubbing  his  eyes  and 
scratching  his  head,  with  an  occasional  yawn),  "When 
I  lay  down  here,  I  was  N.  M.,  the  young  lawyer;  but 
now  I  don't  know  whether  I'm  Joe  Smith,  the  prophet, 
or  Sidney  Rigdon,  his  spokesman."  The  old  political 
landmarks  are  broken  down,  and  the  lines  of  distinction 
cannot  be  traced.  A  general  melee  ensues,  in  which 
every  participant  "  goes  it  on  his  own  hook,"  hardly  know 
ing  who  he  is  or  what  he  is.  Who  or  what  will  come  out 
best,  time  must  determine.  Meanwhile,  for  one,  I  will  be 
only  a  looker-on,  and  take  items  —  watch  the  signs  of  the 
times  and  of  the  weather,  which,  by  the  by,  has  gener 
ally  been  very  cold  and  dry  here,  though  for  the  last 
week  we  have  had  a  little  rain  and  considerable  snow. 
Our  citizens  bitterly  complain  about  paying  one-half 
per  cent  county  tax  upon  a  very  low  assessment,  and  one- 
fourth  per  cent  territorial  tax  even  after  our  legislature  has 
appropriated  the  territorial  tax  to  the  use  and  benefit 
of  this  new  county.  The  citizens  here  are  rather  gen 
erous  and  public-spirited  !  You  may  expect  to  see  Car 
son  County  "excelsior"  under  this  order  of  things. 
They  still  claim,  that  is,  some  of  them,  that  they  are  in 
California,  though  the  line  has  been  correctly  established, 
I  believe.  At  the  Lawson  diggings,  manifestly  in  Cali 
fornia,  they  claim  that  they  are  in  Utah,  for  the  sole  pur- 


OF  THE 

XTKIVERSITY 


326  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

pose  of  dodging  taxation.  In  my  late  trip  to  that  region, 
I  took  observations  every  night  from  the  north  star,  not 
exactly  "through  a  goose-quill,"  but  with  instruments 
nearly  as  simple,  and  am  confident  they  are  in  California. 
The  truth  of  the  matter  is  this:  the  eastern  range  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  is  the  natural  boundary  and 
ought  to  be  adopted.  Then  the  expense  and  trouble  of 
a  survey  would  be  avoided.  Indeed,  it  is  already  the 
legal  boundary  for  a  long  distance.  But  the  trouble  is, 
we  do  not  intend  to  pay  taxes,  if  we  can  possibly  dodge 
that  bowlder.  Anyway,  between  wind  and  water,  be 
tween  California  and  Utah  you  must  not  touch  our 
purse.  We  are  lords  of  the  soil. 

I  am  a  conscientious  Mormon.  I  live  and  practice 
that  religion,  expect  to  live  and  die  in  that  faith,  because 
I  believe  it  to  be  true;  and  whatever  faults  its  professors 
may  have,  however  exaggerated,  shakes  my  faith  no 
more  than  the  murders,  thefts,  robberies,  and  the  vast 
catalogue  of  crimes  that  come  in  every  week's  papers 
from  the  Golden  State,  shakes  yours  in  the  political 
economy  or  code  of  California  enactments.  I  believe 
that  the  only  crime  (if  crime  it  is)  that  the  good  peo 
ple  of  this  county  can  lay  to  my  charge  is,  that  I  am  a 
Mormon.  Some,  however,  care  nothing  about  it.  Oth 
ers  think  it  a  damning  sin  to  be  suffered  in  the  midst  of 
their  profanity,  general  gambling,  and  horse-racing  on 
the  S'tbbath  and  other  days.  Still,  the  people  are  kind 
and  neighborly.  But  I  have  been  very  careful  not  to 
dishonor  any  of  these  entertainments,  by  being  a  par 
ticipant,  or  even  to  be  present;  and  I  never  intend  to 
dishonor  any  such  amusements,  here  or  elsewhere,  by 
my  presence,  when  I  can  reasonably  avoid  it.  If  mine 


COLONEL  L.A.  NORTON. 


is  the  only  house  of  prayer  in  all  western  Utah,  it  may 
be  a  digression  from  the  practice  worthy  to  be  an  excep 
tion. 

But  I  must  stop  talking  to  you  so  freely  about  things 
directly  and  indirectly  connected  with  my  religion,  lest 
some  may  think,  from  the  liberty  I  take  with  you  in 
writing,  that  you  also  are  a  little  tinctured  with  Mor- 
monism.  But  the  freedom  that  I  have  indulged  in  with 
you  arises  from  that  natural  friendship  which  I  feel 
towards  every  frank  and  generous-minded  man  who,  if 
he  prefer  to  eat  his  goose,  is  equally  willing  that  I  should 
eat  my  turkey.  On  this  principle  alone  have  I  rea 
son  to  claim  a  reciprocal  affinity. 

If,  however,  any  man  can  take  the  good  old-fashioned 
Bible,  which  all  Christendom  extols  (but  not  too  highly), 
and  point  out  tome  my  error,  philosophically  and  script- 
urally,  he  will  bring  me  under  an  obligation  which  I 
should  bs  happy  to  discharge  by  a  renunciation  of  that 
error.  .  .  Respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

ORSON  HYDE. 

GENOA,  February  28,  1856. 

C.APT.  L.  A.  NORTON  —  My  Dear  Sir:  .  .  ,  Hav 
ing  been  confined  since  last  Christmas-day  with  frozen 
(or  rather  thawed)  feet,  I  may  be  thought  a  little  child 
ish.  Well,  if  any  poor  fellow  has  a  right  to  be  childish, 
I  can  assert  my  claim  with  many  painful  reasons,  for 
thawed  feet  are  far  more  severe  and  tedious  than  frozen 
ones;  so  your  generosity,  I  am  sure,  will  make  all  neces 
sary  allowance,  and  indulge  me  while  I  quote  a  Mormon 
poem  illustrative  of  some  of  the  foregoing  —  especially 
as  the  poetic  organ  stands  prominently  developed  in  the 
cap-stone  of  your  own  superstructure:  — 


328  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

"  O  my  Father,  thou  that  dwellest 

In  the  high  and  glorious  place! 
When  shall  I  regain  thy  presence, 

And  again  behold  thy  face? 
In  thy  holy  habitation 

Did  my  spirit  once  reside? 
In  my  first  primeval  childhood 

Was  I  nurtured  near  thy  side? 

"  For  a  wise  and  glorious  purpose 

Thou  hast  placed  me  here  on  earth, 
And  withheld  the  recollection 

Of  my  former  friends  and  birth; 
Yet  ofttimes  a  secret  something 

Whispered,  You're  a  stranger  here; 
And  I  felt  that  I  had  wandered 

From  a  more  exalted  sphere. 

"  I  had  learned  to  call  thee,  Father, 

Through  thy  Spirit  from  on  high; 
But  until  the  key  of  knowledge 

Was  restored,  I  knew  not  why. 
In  the  heavens  are  parents  single  ? 

No!  the  thought  makes  reason  stare; 
Truth  is  reason;  truth  eternal 

Tells  me  I've  a  mother  there. 

"  When  I  leave  this  frail  existence, 

When  I  lay  this  mortal  by, 
Father,  mother,  may  I  meet  you 

In  your  royal  court  on  high? 
Then,  at  length,  when  I've  completed 

All  you  sent  me  forth  to  do, 
With  your  mutual  approbation, 

Let  me  come  and  dwell  with  you." 

When  the  number  of  spirits  destined  from  the  begin 
ning  to  emigrate  to  this  world,  ere  the  morning  stars 
sang  together  or  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy,  shall 
have  obtained  earthly  tabernacles,  or  bodies  of  flesh  and 
blood  (and  God  grant  that  the  purity,  integrity,  and  de 
votion  of  thy  conjugal  atmosphere  may  be  such  as  to 
invite  a  liberal  number  of  the  higher  orders  or  grades  of 
those  spirits  to  seek  an  earthly  home  with  you),  then 
will  be  completed  the  great  revolution  of  nations  and- 
kingdoms,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God  cover  the  earth 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  329 

as  the  waters  cover  the  vast  deep!  To  this  crowning 
climax  is  the  present  disturbed  political  state  of  affairs 
throughout  the  world,  as  a  faithful  index,  now  pointing. 

The  tide  of  immigration  to  this  lower  world  has  not 
been  (mathematically  speaking)  in  a  ratio  equal  to  the 
square  of  the  distance  from  the  creation  (counting  time 
for  distance),  in  consequence  of,  perhaps,  the  know-noth 
ings  of  California,  who,  I  believe,  are  opposed  to  the 
influx  of  foreigners,  preferring  a  life  of  "  single  blessed 
ness,"  through  the  strange  desire  for  gold,  and  who 
thereby  check  the  tide  of  immigration  by  practically  carry 
ing  out  their  principles.  Add  to  this  the  great  drawback 
by  premature  deaths  in  wars,  etc.  Yet  wisdom,  justified 
by  her  children,  may  have  disclosed  a  partial  remedy. 
But  why  should  I  trouble  you  with  that  which  may  gen 
erally  be  considered  a  delusive  fancy?  I  will  not  tres 
pass  further  with  this  subject.  Forgive  the  foregoing ! 

The  last  mail  brought  us  the  long-looked-for  message 
of  President  Pierce.  I  consider  it  a  good  one — plain, 
pertinent,  reasonable,  dignified,  and  true.  On  the  sub 
ject  of  our  foreign  relations,  his  reasoning  is  unostenta 
tious,  clear,  generous,  firm,  and  conclusive.  His  remarks 
touching  home  affairs  are  highly  conciliatory  and  just — 
even  such  as  we  might  expect  from  a  father  who  felt  a 
deep  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  every  part  of  his 
family.  In  short,  it  is  just  such  a  message  as  the  condi 
tion  of  the  country,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  requires. 
In  many  sections,  President  Pierce  has  not  had  credit 
for  his  talent,  ability,  and  statesmanship,  to  which  the 
evidences  in  his  late  message  justly  entitle  him. 

But  that  the  interests  and  honor  of  the  American 
people  should  be  so  ingloriously  tampered  with  at  the 

22 


330  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

present  critical  state  of  affairs,  by  the  political  factions 
now  in  Washington,  to  whom  that  interest  and  honor 
have  been  generously  and  sacredly  confided,  is  humiliat 
ing  and  mortifying  in  the  extreme!  Quite  too  many 
are  eager  to  carve  out  of  the  Constitution  portions  which 
their  own  selfish  and  disordered  appetites  may  direct 
them  to  appropriate  to  personal  aggrandizement  or  sec 
tional  party  interests,  while  the  great  Magna  Chartay 
the  broad  shield  of  American  liberty,  the  entire  Consti 
tution,  is  picked,  mangled,  perforated,  and  preyed  upon 
until  it  becomes  a  scarecrow  to  the  infatuated,  a  bur 
lesque  in  the  eyes  of  strangers,  a  deep  wound  to  the 
spirits  of  its  departed  framers,  and  a  cause  of  mourning 
in  every  American  heart. 

There  appears  to  be  no  lack  of  courage  to  defend 
party  politics  and  interests;  but  who,  and  how  many 
among  them  all,  possess  courage  enough  to  yield  a  point, 
and  "stoop  a  little  to  conquer"?  There  is  one  striking 
instance  on  record  clearly  demonstrating  that  by  yield 
ing  a  most  essential  point  both  honor  and  the  desired 
object  were  obtained.  In  the  days  of  Solomon,  the 
wise  king  of  Israel,  two  women  claimed  an  infant  child 
as  its  mother.  Of  course  only  one  of  the  women  could 
be  its  mother.  Hence  a  serious  dispute  arose,  the  final 
adjustment  of  which  was  referred  to  the  king.  He  called 
for  a  sword  to  divide  the  child,  with  a  proposition  to  give 
half  to  each  claimant,  as  it  was  so  very  difficult  to  de 
termine  to  which  of  the  women  it  really  did  belong. 
She  who  was  not  the  mother  would  not  yield,  but  con 
sented  to  take  half  the  child  inasmuch  as  she  could  not 
have  it  all.  She  sanctioned  the  proposal  of  Solomon! 
But  the  other,  with  all  the  tender  sympathies  that  swell 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  331 

a  mother's  heart,  said,  I  yield  my  claim!  Let  not  the 
king  divide  the  child,  but  give  it  all  to  the  other  woman! 
God  bless  the  real  mother!  Did  she  not  get  her  child 
by  yielding  all  her  claim?  And  did  she  not  gratefully 
and  fondly  bear  it  away  amid  the  gratulations  of  an  ad 
miring  crowd  ?  I  "  reckon  "  she  did. 

If  our  political  men  at  Washington  had  really  drawn 
from  the  breast  of  the  Constitution  the  pure  milk  of 
sound  policy,  and  had  been  raised  to  political  manhood 
by  its  kindly  nourishing  properties,  could  they  be  so 
tardy  in  organizing  the  House  ?  Why  profess  friend 
ship  for  the  Constitution  and  deny  the  rights  which  it 
secures  ? 

I  was  born  and  raised  in  the  free  States  of  the  North, 
and  have  no  personal  predilection  in  favor  of  slavery. 
Yet  the  terms  of  the  original  compact,  to  which  the 
North  and  the  South  voluntarily  subscribed,  ought  not 
to  lose  their  binding  force  upon  either  party,  only  by  the 
voluntary  consent  of  both.  Through  all  the  extension 
of  territory  subsequently  acquired  by  the  mutual  exer 
tions  and  enterprise  of  the  northern  and  southern  States, 
the  rights  of  the  South  should  run  parallel  with  those  of 
the  North.  Take  it  up  on  one  side  and  down  on  the 
other,  and  I  can  see  no  injustice  or  inequality  in  allow 
ing  the  citizens  of  each  new  State  to  determine,  by  vote, 
whether  it  shall  be  a  free  or  a  slave  State.  Any  other 
course  would  savor  too  strongly  of  foreign  legislation. 
The  Yankees  of  the  North  are  about  as  quick  to  take 
up  the  line  of  march  towards  a  new  territory  as  the 
slave-holders  of  the  South.  If  they  are  not,  it  is  their 
own  fault. 

It  is  agreed  that  liberty  is   national,  and  slavery  sec- 


332  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

tional.  Hence  slavery  should  not  exist.  I  believe  that 
corn  and  wheat  raising  is  national;  but  cotton  and  rice 
growing,  I  think,  is  sectional.  Must  we,  therefore,  be 
deprived  of  our  rice  puddings — our  shirts,  hose,  pants, 
and  a  hundred  and  one  other  articles  of  common  use 
manufactured  from  cotton?  It  may  be  asked  if  it  is 
not  lawful  and  right,  in  thij  age  of  progress,  to  reform 
abuses  by  remodeling  the  internal  policy  of  the  Govern 
ment.  It  certainly  is  when  there  exists  a  reasonable 
prospect  of  bettering  the  condition  of  the  country.  But 
when  certain  ruin  is  likely  to  attend  the  enterprise,  it 
can  be  with  no  very  benevolent  or  charitable  design  that 
it  is  set  on  foot.  ,  If  I  had  a  son  who  was  born  with  a 
hair  lip,  it  would  be  criminal  rashness  to  cut  off  his  head 
to  reform  his  personal  appearance.  To  effect  a  reform 
•against  the  decree  of  Providence  and  our  own  plighted 
faith,  to  say  the  best  of  it,  is  the  investment  of  an  ill- 
grounded  political  piety  in  a  sinking  fund.  Fair  play  and 
equal  rights  are  the  principles  of  high-minded  and  liberal 
:men.  When  these  fail  to  stand  in  the  ascendant,  it  may 
be  regarded  as  a  painful  proof  of  the  downward  tend 
ency  of  everything  that  can  shed  a  glory  on  the 
American  name. 

But  for  years  I  have  marked  the  tide  of  events,  and 
'Carefully  noted  the  progress  of  affairs ;  and  have  beheld, 
in  the  foreground,  with  painful  anxiety,  the  crisis  that 
must  be  met.  I  have  also  contemplated  in  sorrow  and 
regret  some  of  the  causes  that  have  indirectly  and  prov 
identially  led  to  the  present  political  embarrassments 
that  now  threaten  to  afflict  the  country — causes  which, 
though  on  record,  are  measurably  lost  sight  of  and  for 
gotten  by  the  nation ;  and  yet,  if  fresh  in  the  memory 
of  all,  they  probably  would  not  be  believed. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON. 


I  am  no  politician;  still  I  can  hardly  ayoid  entertain 
ing  some  views  upon  every  subject  that  commends  itself 
to  my  attention.  If  you  shall  consider  them  to  contain 
anything  curious,  amusing,  or  beneficial,  you  are  at  lib 
erty  to  use  them  as  you  may  deem  proper. 

It  becomes  every  man  to  act  well  his  part,  in  these  as 
well  as  in  all  other  times,  in  the  sphere  in  which  he  is  des 
tined  to  move  —  praying  that  an  overruling  Providence 
may  guide  our  destiny  in  mercy,  and  crown  the  efforts  of 
the  just  with  glorious  victory! 

Till  I  see  you,  believe  me  as  ever  your  friend  and 
obedient  servant,  ORSON  HYDE. 


1 


CHAPTER    XL. 

REMOVAL  TO  HEALDSBURG — THE  SQUATTER  WAR. 

HAD  built  up  quite  a  practice  in  the  valley,  and  one 
day  as  I  was  on  the  floor  addressing  a  jury  in  the 
United  States  district  court,  a  friend  stepped  up  to  me 
and  said,  "Give  them  h — 1,  Norton,  you  are  gone  in  at 
home."  When  I  had  finished  my  argument,  I  asked 
my  friend  what  he  meant.  He  replied,  "  Placerville  is. 
entirely  wiped  out  by  fire;  nothing  has  been  saved."  I 
returned  home,  and  learned  that  a  fire  had  broken  out 
near  the  Carey  House,  at  the  foot  of  Main  Street,  at  the 
west  end  of  the  city,  and  as  the  town  was  in  a  canon 
running  nearly  east  and  west,  and  there  being  a  strong 
west  wind,  and  everything  very  dry,  the  flames  would 
leap  forty  and  fifty  feet  from  building  to  building,  firing 
the  roofs,  and  in  less  than  thirty  minutes  the  town  was 
all  in  flames.  It  was  Sunday,  and  my  wife  was  in 


334  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

church,  not  far  from  my  office.  She  rushed  to  the  office, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  a  few  friends  had  secured  the 
most  of  my  library,  conveying  the  books  to  the  rear  of 
the  building  into  a  mining  tunnel.  My  house  was  situ 
ated  on  a  hill  outside  of  the  town,  and  was  safe.  But 
my  entire  block  of  buildings  on  Main  Street,  that  I  had 
just  finished  at  a  cost  of  thirteen  thousand  dollars,  was 
entirely  destroyed,  and  I  was  left  with  my  library  and 
one  thousand  dollars  (my  fee  in  the  case  I  was  trying) 
and  with  three  thousand  dollars  owing  me  from  T.  B. 
Andrian  &  Co.,  mill  men,  to  be  paid  in  lumber.  There 
was  no  insurance  in  those  days  in  Placerville. 

This  fire  occurred  on  the  5th  of  July,  1856.  In  the 
course  of  a  couple  of  months  I  had  filled  the  burned 
space  in  my  tract  with  a  block  of  cheap  buildings,  aricl 
again  continued  my  business  till  the  summer  of  1857, 
when  I  found  that  many  of  the  mines  were  exhausted, 
and  that  Placerville  had  seen  its  best  days.  And  I  had 
further  become  satisfied  that  every  blow  struck  in  a 
mining  county  was  exhausting  the  native  wealth  of  the 
county,  while  each  blow  struck  in  an  agricultural  county 
was  increasing  its  wealth.  Hence  I  was  resolved  to 
seek  a  location  in  an  agricultural  region,  and  having 
favorable  reports  from  Sonoma  County,  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  visit  that  quarter  with  a  view  to  finding  a  loca 
tion.  Having  relatives  living  in  Green  Valley,  Sonoma 
County,  I  mounted  my  horse  and  set  out  for  that  point. 
I  had  paid  them  a  flying  visit  in  1855,  but  saw  very 
little  of  the  country.  On  my  second  visit  I  spent  a 
short  time  with  my  friends  and  in  the  coast  country, 
when  A.  J.  Steele,  my  brother-in-law,  suggested  that  we 
visit  the  Geysers,  which  we  accordingly  did. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  335 

Returning  from  this  tour,  I  became  favorably  impressed 
with  the  then  small  hamlet  of  Healdsburg,  and  the 
broad  acres  of  Dry  Creek  and  Russian  River  bottom 
land  lying  on  each  side  of  the  town  site,  while  the  little 
town  itself  was.  embowered  in  and  overshadowed  by  a 
luxuriant  shade  of  native  oaks,  with  its  varied  and 
picturesque  scenery,  with  water  as  pure  as  ever  flowed 
from  a  crystal  fountain,  a  healthful  climate,  without 
sand-flies,  gnats,  or  mosquitoes  to  afflict  humanity.  I 
resolved  to  settle  in  Healdsburg,  and  take  my  chances 
to  make  a  living  at  my  profession.  Among  the  first  to 
renew  an  acquaintance  at  this  place  was  "  old  man  " 
Forsee,  with  whom  I  had  been  acquainted  in  El  Dorado 
County.  The  old  man  informed  me  that  there  was  a 
fine  opening  in  Sonoma  County,  but  that  I  must  not  go 
in  with  the  land-grabbers.  This  was  all  new  to  me,  and 
I  was  led  to  make  inquiries  as  to  what  he  meant  by 
land-grabbers,  when  he  proceeded  to  inform  me  that  the 
country  was  covered  with  spurious  grants,  purporting  to 
be  Mexican  grants,  but  which  were  all  fraudulent;  and 
that  he  (Forsee)  had  united  himself  with  the  settlers  to 
resist  the  claimants  under  Mexican  title,  both  legally 
and  forcibly. 

Judge  Forsee  also  said  that  the  Fitch  or  Sotoyome 
Rancho  was  a  fraud,  that  the  patent  issued  therefor  was 
a  fraud,  that  on  two  sides  there  were  no  boundaries,  etc., 
etc.  I  visited  Santa  Rosa  for  the  purpose  of  learning 
the  facts  from  the  records,  when,  instead  of  finding  the 
grant  without  boundaries,  I  found  the  entire  estate  de 
fined  by  the  most  substantial  lines,  and  that  the  United 
States  patent  had  been  on  record  for  more  than  five 
years.  I  returned  to  Healdsburg  and  opened  an  office, 


336  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  soon  found  that  all  legal  proceedings  at  this  place 
amounted  to  a  grand  "  comedy  of  errors," — deeds 
embracing  sales  of  both  real  and  personal  property,  one- 
half  of  them  without  a  seal,  many  without  acknowledg 
ments,  etc. 

The  first  case  in  which  I  was  engaged  was,  The  People 
of  the  State  of  California  vs.  Charles  P.  McPherson, 
charged  with  an  assault  with  a  deadly  weapon.  I  was 
employed  on  the  defense,  and  one  James  Reynolds  (now 
dead)  was  prosecutor.  The  justice,  instead  of  sitting  as 
a  committing  magistrate,  took  jurisdiction  of  the  case  to 
try  it  I  did  not  demur  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court 
The  evidence  disclosed  the  fact  that  my  client  had,  in 
the  town  of  Geyserville,  struck  the  complaining  witness 
with  a  small  stick,  about  one  inch  in  diameter;  but,  un 
fortunately,  there  was  a  large-sized  splitting  chisel  at  one 
end  of  it,  used  for  splitting  iron  in  a  blacksmith  shop. 
I  convinced  the  jury  that  it  was  not  among  the  deadly 
weapons  described  in  the  statute,  and  my  man  was  ac 
quitted  on  that  charge,  but,  under  the  advice  of  his 
counsel,  McPherson  pleaded  guilty  to  an  assault  and 
battery.  Receipts  of  first  month's  practice,  thirty  dol 
lars. 

About  this  time  a  gentleman  stepped  into  the  office 
and  introduced  himself  as  Egbert  Judson,  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  and  said:  "  I  am  part  owner  and  agent  of  the  new 
Sotoyc  me  Rancho.  The  ranch  is  covered  with  redwood 
timber,  and  is  only  valuable  for  the  timber,  and  I  am 
being  robbed  by  more  than  a  hundred  trespassers,  who 
are  cutting  down  and  carrying  away  my  timber  in  lum 
ber,  pickets,  shakes,  rails,  and  for  other  uses.  The 
entire  valley  has  been  and  is  being  fenced  from  my 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  337 

land.  I  started  up  here  to  see  if  I  could  do  anything  to 
save  it.  I  stated  my  object  to  Col.  S.  H.  Fitch,  on 
the  boat  coming  up,  and  told  him  that  I  was  going  to 
see  if  I  could  employ  some  attorney  in  Santa  Rosa  who 
would  try  and  save  my  property.  He  replied  that  the 
man  I  wanted  was  in  Healdsburg,  that  he  knew  you 
well,  having  served  through  the  Mexican  War  with  you, 
and  if  you  undertook  it  you  would  accomplish  it  or  die 
trying.  He  at  the  same  time  remarked  that  the  squatters 
were  a  set  of  desperate  men,  and  that  he  expected  they 
would  kill  any  one  who  should  attempt  to  stop  their 
trespassing.  I  told  him  that  his  assurances  were  truly 
refreshing,  nevertheless,  for  a  reasonable  consideration,  I 
would  undertake  it.  After  having  fixed  on  a  compensa 
tion,  I  said:  "  Go  back  to  San  Francisco;  you  are  afraid 
of  these  men,  and  within  two  weeks  you  will  find  your 
worst  fears  realized,  or  I  will  be  in  possession  of  your 
land." 

Judson  returned  to  San  Francisco,  and  I  was  in  some 
what  of  a  quandary  how  to  commence  my  task,  being 
fully  alive  to  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking;  I  was 
aware  that  about  a  month  before  my  arrival  in  Healds 
burg,  a  mob  had  taken  and  destroyed  the  field  notes  of 
Surveyor-General  Tracy,  gave  him  four  hours  to  leave 
or  hang,  and  that  a  like  mob  had  chased  Dr.  L.  C. 
Frisbie,  he  only  escaping  by  being  mounted  on  a  fleet 
horse,  and  from  the  known  character  of  some  with 
whom  I  had  to  deal,  I  could  scarcely  hope  to  come  out 
of  the  contest  alive.  First  I  thought  I  had  better  com 
mence  in  the  district  court  and  call  to  my  aid  a  sheriffs 
posse  comitatus,  and  again  I  feared  that  that  course  would 
induce  the  trespassers  to  think  that  I  was  personally 


338  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

afraid  of  them ;  but  a  notice  from  them  two  days  after 
my  appointment,  decided  my  course  of  action. 

The  notice  which  I  received  informed  me  that,  if  I 
dared  to  show  myself  in  the  redwoods,  I  would  be 
hanged  to  the  first  tree.  Accordingly  the  next  day  I 
loaded  myself  down  with  iron  and  steel,  got  a  horse, 
and  started  for  the  redwoods  alone,  having  previously 
learned  that  their  leader  was  a  six-foot-and-a-half 
Irishman,  a  perfect  giant,  by  the  name  of  McCabe,  who 
would  sally  forth  from  his  mountain  hiding-place,  come 
to  Healdsburg,  get  half  drunk,  whip  out  the  town,  and 
return  to  the  redwoods,  where  he  had  his  family.  On 
my  approach  to  the  redwoods  I  inquired  for  McCabe's 
shanty,  and  on  reaching  it  I  found  him  seated  on  his 
shaving-horse  making  shingles.  I  dismounted,  hitched 
my  horse,  advanced  toward  him  and  said,  "  Is  your 
name  McCabe  ? "  He  replied  in  the  affirmative.  I 
added,  "  Fighting  McCabe  ?  "  "  They  call  me  so  some 
times."  I  then  said,  "Well,  sir,  I  am  that  detested 
Judson's  agent  that  you  propose  to  hang  to  the  nearest 
limb,  arid  have  come  to  surrender  myself  for  execution; 
my  name  is  Norton."  He  dallied  a  moment  with  his 
drawing-knife  and  then  said,  "  Suppose  we  carry  our 
threat  into  execution  ?  "  I  made  answer  that  no  doubt 
they  had  force  enough  in  the  woods  to  do  it,  but  there 
would  be  some  of  them  that  would  not  be  worth  hang 
ing  by  the  time  it  was  done.  He  then  queried,  "  Well, 
Norton,  what  do  you  propose  to  do  with  us  ?  "  I  replied, 
*'  Mack,  I  intend  to  put  every  devil  of  you  out  of  the 
woods,  unless  you  carry  your  threat  into  execution." 
He  was  silent  for  a  minute,  then  said:  "  Well,  you  look 
and  act  as  if  you  meant  all  you  say."  I  answered, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  339 

"  I  mean  every  word  of  it."  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  in  case  I 
leave,  how  long  will  you  give  a  fellow  to  get  off  with  his 
stealings  ?"  I  said,  "  How  long  do  you  want,  Mack?" 
He  replied,  "  A  week  or  ten  days."  I  asked,  "  Is  two 
weeks  sufficient?"  He  replied,  "It  is."  "Will  you 
leave  at  that  time?"  "I  will."  I  said,  "That  is  enough 
between  gentlemen."  Mack  left  according  to  agreement. 

I  then  went  out  into  the  woods  where  the  axes  were 
cracking  on  every  side,  some  chopping,  some  splitting 
rails,  others  sawing  bolts;  in  fact,  it  was  a  busy  place. 
W^hen  I  approached  them  I  asked  what  they  thought 
they  were  doing  there,  if  they  did  not  know  they  were 
trespassers?  They  wanted  to  know  who  I  was  and 
what  business  I  had  there.  I  answered,  "  I  am  the 
agent  of  Egbert  Judson,  the  owner  of  this  land  and  tim 
ber,  and  I  forbid  you  to  cut  another  stick,  and  intend  to 
make  you  pay  for  the  trespass  already  committed.  They 
commenced  to  gather  around  me,  using  the  most  in 
sulting  language;  one  of  them,  pointing  to  a  large  limb 
on  a  spreading  oak,  said,  "  We  will  give  you  just  two 
minutes  to  get  out  of  this,  and,  unless  you  are  gone  by 
that  time,  we  will  string  you  up  to  that  limb."  I  drew 
a  revolver  and  cocked  it,  and  told  them  to  keep  their 
distance,  that  I  would  kill  the  first  one  that  attempted 
to  advance.  I  then  asked  them  to  give  me  their  names, 
as  I  intended  to  prosecute  them,  each  and  every  devil. 
They  gave  me  a  laughable  list,  which  I  will  not  attempt 
to  copy  here.  After  informing  them  that  they  were  a 
set  of  cowardly  scoundrels  and  not  a  gentleman  in  the 
crowd,  I  left  them  and  returned  to  Healdsburg. 

Johnson  Ireland  was  the  justice  of  the  peace,  and  a 
firm,  positive,  honest  man;  and  being  satisfied  that  I 


340  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

could  trust  him,  I  brought  about  a  hundred  suits,  using 
all  the  aliases  I  could  think  of,  placed  the  papers  in  the 
hands  of  an  officer,  with  instructions  to  serve  on  all  he 
could  find  in  the  woods,  except  my  Irish  giant,  and  to 
obtain  their  real  names  if  possible.  The  actions  were  for 
trespass  upon  personal  property,  for  taking  and  carrying 
away  posts,  rails,  pickets,  etc.  I  think  the  officer  got  serv 
ice  on  sixty-two  persons.  The  cases  were  set  for  hearing 
at  twelve  o'clock  noon.  The  parties  did  not  arrive  in 
time,  and  I  took  a  default  against  the  crowd;  but  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  as  I  was 
seated  in  my  office  (which  was  on  the  second  floor  over 
a  store  on  West  Street)  conversing  with  a  friend,  I  heard 
some  one  hallooing  on  the  street.  I  walked  to  the  bal 
cony  and  saw  that  the  street  was  crowded  with  men. 
Their  spokesman  called  out,  "Well,  old  fellow,  there  is 
a  friend  of  mine  up  in  the  redwoods  who  wants  to  compro 
mise  with  you."  I  inquired  his  friend's  name.  He  re 
plied:  "D — n  you,  if  you  want  his  name  find  it  out 
the  way  you  found  ours."  I  said,  "  It  is  very  unkind  in 
you  not  to  give  your  friend's  name,  but  as  the  business 
of  the  day  is  over  with  me,  I  will  attend  to  it;  I  think, 
however,  you  are  mistaken  in  your  man.  It  is  not 
Norton  you  are  hunting;  it  is  Surveyor-General  Tracy, 
or  Dr.  Frisbie  that  you  are  after;  but  as  you  will  not 
give  your  frien  i's  name,  I  will  accompany  you  to  see 
him.  I  will  go  with  one  of  you,  two  of  you,  or  three 
of  you,  or  I  will  go  with  your  crowd;  or  I  will  be 
fairer  still,  I  will  agree  to  come  down  there  and  whale 
any  one  of  you  so  blind  that  your  wife  will  not  know 
you  when  you  get  home  again.  I  know  your  kind  bet 
ter  than  you  know  yourselves."  Instead  of  rushing  for 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  341 

me,  as  my  friend  had  anticipated,  they  commenced  gath 
ering  in  knots,  and  at  the  end  of  an  hour  there  was  not 
one  of  them  on  the  street.  Thus  ended  their  first  and 
last  attempt  to  mob  me. 

My  next  adventure  was  in  removing  squatters  from 
the  east  side  of  Russian  River.  Judson  had  sent  a  man 
by  the  name  of  A.  J.  Soules  with  a  flock  of  sheep  on 
his  own  land  on  the  Sotoyome  Rancho,  to  pasture. 
The  squatters  (numbering  sixteen  families)  went  and 
removed  Soules  and  the  sheep  from  the  grant,  admon 
ishing  him  that  it  would  not  be  safe  to  return.  Judg 
ment  in  ejectment  was  obtained  against  those  men  in 
the  federal  court  at  San  Francisco,  but  no  one  had 
dared  to  attempt  to  enforce  it.  Having  been  success 
ful  in  driving  the  trespassers  from  the  redwoods,  Judson 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  perhaps  I  might  gain  pos 
session  of  his  other  land.  After  consultation,  I  directed 
him  to  send  me  a  deputy  frorn  the  United  States  mar 
shal's  office,  with  the  writs  of  ejectment,  which  he  did. 
We  went  over  to  the  field  of  our  new  labors  about  five 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  having  previously  sent  them 
notice  of  my  intention  to  remove  them  unless  they 
would  enter  into  a  lease,  and  recognize  our  title.  We 
found  them  all  at  the  house  where  we  proposed  to  com 
mence,  all  armed  with  knives  or  pistols.  Over  an  hour 
was  consumed  in  trying  to  get  the  party  to  sign  a  lease, 
but  to  no  purpose.  The  evening  was  chilly,  and  I  could 
not  think  of  throwing  a  woman  and  small  children  out  at 
that  time  of  the  evening.  Accordingly,  I  told  them  that 
I  would  be  there  at  eight  o'clock  the  following  morning 
to  put  theni  out.  At  the  appointed  hour  we  were  on 
hand,  and  found  them  all  there.  I  again  tendered  the 


342  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

lease,  which  was  refused.  I  cocked  my  revolver,  took 
my  position  in  the  gateway,  and  directed  the  marshal  to 
throw  the  goods  out  of  the  house,  which  he  proceeded 
to  do.  They  made  a  demonstration  as  though  they 
intended  to  make  a  rush.  I  warned  them  to  keep  back. 
The  marshal  got  all  out  but  the  woman.  He  came  to 
the  door  and  said,  "  I  cannot  get  this  woman  out."  I 
told  him  to  take  my  revolver  and  keep  the  men  back, 
and  I  would  attend  to  her.  I  walked  in,  found  her 
seated  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  said,  "  Madame,  it 
becomes  my  unpleasant  duty  to  remove  you,"  at  the 
same  time  stepping  quickly  to  her  back,  bending  over 
and  putting  my  hands  beneath  her  so  as  to  carry  her  out. 
She  sprang  to  her  feet,  exclaiming,  "  I  guess  I  can  go 
out  myself."  After  the  woman  had  surrendered  the 
citadel,  the  man  (whose  name,  I  believe,  was  Weber) 
remarked  that,  if  it  were  not  too  late,  he  would  sign  the 
lease.  I  replied  that  it  was  never  too  late  for  me  to 
ameliorate  the  condition  of  my  fellow-man,  and  handed 
him  the  lease,  which  he  signed.  We  then  went  from 
house  to  house  and  all  the  occupants  signed  leases. 
Thus  Judson  was  restored  to  his  land  on  the  old  Soto- 
yome  Rancho. 

CHAPTER    XLI. 

THE   SQUATTER  WAR — CONTINUED. 

THE  Russian  River  and  Dry  Creek  valleys  at  this  time 
were  nearly  all  in  the  hands  of  the  squatters,  which 
territory  was  covered  with  Mexican  grants,  as  follows: 
Sotoyome  or    Fitch    Grant,  eight  leagues;    New    Soto- 
yome,  three    leagues;   the    Tzabaco    Grant,   containing 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  343 

something  over  four  leagues.  The  titles  were  all  con 
firmed,  and  patents  issued  and  on  record.  Notwith 
standing  all  this,  the  squatters  in  possession  had  their 
secret  leagues  all  over  the  county,  and  forcibly  resisted 
all  efforts  to  dispossess  them,  and  the  law  seemed  to 
be  entirely  a  dead  letter;  actions  in  ejectment  were  pros 
ecuted  to  judgment;  writs  of  restriction  were  issued  and 
placed  in  the  hands  of  officers,  but  resistance  was  made 
by  armed  force;  the  military  was  called  out — a  requisi 
tion  for  the  militia  on  one  side,  and  Captain  Forsee 
mustering  two  thousand  squatters  on  the  other  side. 
Parties  would  be  evicted  one  day,  and  the  next  morn 
ing  would  find  them  in  possession  of  the  same  premises 
they  had  been  ejected  from  the  day  before.  Two  thou 
sand  men  had  met  and  confronted  each  other  in  blood 
less  combat;  both  parties  marched  and  countermarched 
until  the  farce  was  played  out.  By  express  command 
of  the  sheriff,  I  was  excluded-  from  these  wars,  and  the 
affair  was  finally  left  where  it  commenced.  Though 
the  fairest  domain  on  which  the  sun  ever  shone,  yet 
people  shunned  it,  as  there  was  no  title  or  undisputed 
possession. 

Things  were  in  this  condition  when  Dr.  L.  C.  Frisbie 
of  Vallejo,  employed  me  to  look  after  his  interests  in  the 
Soloyome  Rancho.  I  took  his  business  in  hand,  and 
succeeded  in  making  some  sales  and  getting  along  pretty 
smoothly  for  a  few  months;  but  it  became  necessary  to 
bring  several  suits  in  ejectment,  which  I  prosecuted  to 
judgment.  One  of  them  was  against  Riland  Arbuckle, 
on  a  portion  of  the  Sotoyome  Rancho,  and  as  he  was  a 
boastful,  blowing  fellow,  I  thought  I  would  go  for  him 
first.  The  sheriff  dispossessed  the  party,  and  levied  upon 


344  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

a  quantity  of  sacked  barley,  which  we  removed  to  the 
house  for  safety.     The  squatters  said  they  would    not 
resist  the  officer,  but  that  Arbuckle  should  be  placed  in 
possession  again   before  morning,  and  that  old  Norton 
had  better  leave  with  the  sheriff  if  he  knew  what  was 
good   for  him.      I,  however,   thought  differently.      My 
client  was  not  there,  and  I  had  determined  to  try  strength 
of  nerve  with  them,  and  had  secured  the  services  of  seven 
young  men  to  aid  me.     We  were  all  supplied  with  double- 
barreled   shot-guns   and   plenty  of  ammunition.       The 
sheriff  had  retired,  and  about  a  dozen  of  the  squatters 
lingered  for  a  time.     I  had  gone  out  to  reconnoiter  the 
premises,  when  they  commenced  talking  very  rough  to 
the  boys,  telling  them  that   they  had   better   leave,  as 
every  one  of  them  would  be  killed  before  morning,  etc. 
The  boys  were  telling  them  that  they  were  not  there  to 
fight,  but  merely  to  hold  possession  under  the  law.     In 
the  early  part  of  the  conversation  I  had  slipped  up  be 
hind  a  large  oak  tree  where  I  could  hear  every  word  that 
passed,  and  at  this  juncture  I  sprang  from  my  conceal 
ment  and  exclaimed,  "You  are  a  bombasticset  of  cowards; 
you  have  dared  me  to  hold  these  premises;  now  go  home 
and. rally  your  forces  for  your  night  attack;  you  will  find 
*  old  Norton  '  at  his  post"     My  boys  all  bustled  up  and 
told    them  to  go  or  they  would   boot  them,  and    finally 
bluffed  the  fellows  from  the  ground;  but  on  riding  off 
they  called  back  that  we  would  see  them  again  before 
morning. 

We  then  made  breast-works  of  the  sacks  of  barley  in 
the  house,  with  loop-holes  through  the  thin  siding,  and 
before  it  was  quite  dark  I  placed  patrols  up  and  down 
the  road  with  instructions,  if  they  should  see  the  enemy 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  345 

approach  in  force,  to  retreat  to  our  fortification  and 
notify  us;  but  if  the  enemy  advanced  too  fast,  they 
were  to  fire  a  revolver  as  a  signal  and  make  good  their 
retreat.  About  eleven  o'clock  I  heard  the  discharge  of 
a  revolver,  and  the  two  outposts  came  rushing  in  and 
said  there  was  a  large  company  of  horsemen  rapidly 
approaching.  I  formed  the  command  outside  of  the 
house,  under  a  large  laurel  tree,  where  it  was  quite  dark. 
I  ordered  them  to  drop  down  upon  their  faces  on  the 
ground.  -On  came  the  horsemen,  from  eighty  to  one 
hundred  strong.  When  they  got  opposite  to  us  and 
about  four  rods  distant,  I  ordered,  "Ready!"  All  the 
locks  clicked  audibly.  I  said,  "  Reserve  your  fire  till 
they  attempt  to  cross  the  fence."  The  horsemen  wav 
ered  for  a  moment,  then  with  a  right-about-face  made 
equally  as  good  time  in  getting  away  as  they  did  in 
coming.  I  was  satisfied  that  we  had  not  seen  the  last 
of  them,  and  in  consequence  of  this  impression  I  kept  a 
vigilant  watch.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  one 
of  my  sentinels  came  running  in  and  said  there  was  a 
large  crowd  creeping  along  the  fence.  I  ordered  my 
force  to  keep  perfectly  quiet.  I  took  my  old  rifle  that  I 
had  had  in  camp,  and  skulked  along  the  fence  to  within 
about  a  hundred  yards  of  the  foremost  of  the  approach 
ing  party,  when  I  slipped  out  and  fired  a  shot  about  ten 
feet  over  their  heads.  At  this  there  was  another  general 
stampede,  and  we  were  again  in  peaceable  possession  of 
the  Arbuckle  place. 

I  continued  to  eject  the  squatters  from  Frisbie's  tracts, 

with  greater  or  less  resistance,  until  I  had  reduced  the 

whole  to  possession.     It  now  seemed  to  be  the  general 

opinion  that  I  was  the  only  one  who  could  successfully 

23 


346  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

cope  with  squatters,  and  John  N.  Bailhache,  as  one  of 
the  Fitch  heirs,  or  rather  tenant  by  courtesy,  having 
married  Miss  Josephine  Fitch,  had  a  large  tract  of  land 
covered  by  squatters,  and  had  made  many  futile  attempts 
to  expel  them.  They  had  become  so  well  organized, 
and  so  confident  of  their  ability  to  forcibly  hold  the 
premises,  that  they  actually  paraded  the  streets  of  Healds- 
burg,  both  men  and  women,  with  music  and  banners 
waving,  and  seemed  to  think  that  if  they  could  only  get 
rid  of  Bailhache  they  would  be  secure  in  their  homes. 
In  accordance  with  this  idea,  they  made  a  raid  on  him 
and  forced  him  to  secrete  himself  in  the  Raney  Hotel. 
Seeing  his  danger,  I  marched  out  with  a  cocked  revolver 
in  each  hand,  meeting  the  mob,  and  persuaded  them 
that  I  was  the  man  they  wanted,  and  not  Bailhache;  but 
they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they  did  not  want  either 
of  us,  and  retired,  still  holding  forcible  possession  of  his 
lands.  Mr.  Bailhache  about  this  time  discovered  that 
he  had  business  at  Fort  Yuma;  so  he  moved  his  family 
to  Santa  Rosa  and  departed. 

A  few  months  afterward  I  received  a  letter  and  power 
of  attorney  from  Mr.  Bailhache  at  Fort  Yuma,  giving 
me  full  authority  to  enter  upon  any  and  all  his  lands 
in  Sonoma  County,  and  expel  squatters,  etc.  I  com 
menced  operations  under  this  power,  but  not  until  after 
I  had  convinced  the  sheriff  that  his  was  not  much  of  an 
office  anyhow,  and  he  had  agreed  to  turn  it  over  to  his 
under-sheriff  in  case  he  could  furnish  the  necessary  bonds, 
which  I  believe  were  about  thirty  thousand  dollars;  and  I 
agreed  to  furnish  ten  thousand,  in  consideration  of  hav 
ing  the  privilege  of  selecting  my  own  deputy  for  Healds- 
burg.  This  was  carried  out,  and  I  chose  J.  D.  Bins,  and 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  347 

adopted  a  new  system  of  warfare.  I  put  in  teams  and 
went  to  work  hauling  off  the  fencing  from  the  farms  on 
the  west  side  of  Dry  Creek,  thus  rendering  the  land  use 
less  to  the  holders.  This  drove  them  to  desperation. 
The  teams  had  been  hauling  all  day,  and  at  evening 
when  they  were  coming  in  with  the  last  load  for  the 
day,  as  they  were  approaching  Dry  Creek,  my  team  be 
ing  in  the  rear  with  five  or  six  men  upon  the  wagon,  my 
brother  among  the  number,  two  shots  from  rifles  were 
discharged  in  rapid  succession,  and  a  bullet  from  one  of 
them  struck  a  Mr.  Ferguson  just  above  the  knee,  and 
running  down  the  leg  shattered  the  bones  in  a  terrible 
manner;  it  was  a  death  shot.  My  brother  drove  him  to 
town  as  fast  as  p3ssible,  but  he  never  rallied  from  the 
nervous  shock,  and  died  the  next  day. 

Until  this  murderous  attack  I  had  not  been  thoroughly 
-aroused, but  after  the  death  and  burial  of  young  Ferguson 
I  took  ^posse  of  ten  men,  all  thoroughly  armed,  and  went 
with  them  in  person.  Stationing  a  few  outposts  to  pre 
vent  any  further  shooting  from  the  brush,  I  commenced 
throwing  out  goods  from  the  houses  and  burning  the 
buildings  to  the  ground.  In  this  way  I  went  from  house 
to  house,  until  I  burned  down  all  the  dwellings  on  the  Bail- 
hache  premises  occupied  by  squatters.  They  followed  us 
up  en  masse,  and  at  length  one  of  them  said,  "  I  would 
like  to  know  who  sets  those  buildings  on  fire;  I  would 
make  them  smart  legally."  I  replied,  "  What,  you  ap 
peal  to  the  law,  who  have  so  long  trampled  law  and  jus 
tice  beneath  your  feet!  You  shall  be  gratified!"  I  said, 
"Jim 'Brown,  fire  that  house."  The  house  was  soon  in 
flames.  I  then  said  to  the  squatters,  "  Now  take  your 
legal  remedy."  Brown  (a  brother  of  Mayor  Brown,  of 


348  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Santa  Rosa)  was  indicte  :,but  a  nol.  pros,  was  entered  in 
the  case,  as  the  house  was  mine,  and  I  having  authorized 
the  act;  there  being  no  property  of  others  in  it,  nor  no 
living  being,  under  our. statute  the  act  was  legal.  Some 
of  the  houses  were  good  two-story  buildings,  but  I 
treated  them  as  I  would  have  done  a  lot  of  rats'  nests; 
under  the  circumstances  there  was  no  alternative. 

Although  I  had  reduced  the  dwellings  to  smouldering 
ruins,  the  squatters  continued  to  hang  around,  like  the 
French  soldiers  around  a  burning  Moscow,  until  the  ele 
ments  drove  them  away  to  the  hills,  where  some  of  them 
put  up  temporary  abodes  on  the  adjacent  Government 
land.  In  our  attempt  to  keep  the  raiders  from  the  dif 
ferent  places,  we  had  only  been  successful  in  gaining 
possession  of  a  small  portion,  and  in  order  to  perpetuate 
.my  possession,  I  commenced  repairing  the  fences,  and 
on  two  or  three  occasions  in  the  night  they  fired  them. 
But  I  was  ever  on  the  alert,  and  discovered  the  fire  in 
time  to  prevent  much  damage. 

My  next  effort  was  to  find  some  one  who  would  dare 
take  possession  of  some  one  of  the  places.  At  last  I 
found  a  man  by  the  name  of  Peacock,  a  powerful,  reso 
lute  fellow,  who  proposed  to  purchase  a  piece  of  the 
land  which  a  man  by  the  name  of  Clark  had  been  claim 
ing,  and  whose  house  had  been  burned  down.  He  con 
tracted  and  entered  into  possession,  and  guarded  a  fine 
lot  of  hay,  a  volunteer  crop  growing  on  the  place.  The 
hay  had  matured  and  he  had  cut  and  cocked  it,  but  in 
the  meantime,  contrary  to  my  counsel,  he  had  made 
great  friends  with  and  confidents  of  the  squatters  who 
had  been  evicted,  and  among  other  things  told  them 
that  he  was  going  to  see  my  brother  the  next  day,  to 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  349 

get  his  team  to  bale  hay,  and  should  be  absent  that 
night.  I  strongly  opposed  it,  while  he  assured  me  that 
everything  would  be  safe,  but  did  not  convince  me.  I 
was  on  the  watch,  and  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing  I  discovered  a  bright  light  arising  from  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Peacock's  hay.  I  rushed  around,  awakened 
Bailhache,  Ransom  Powell,  and  two  or  three  others, 
and  started  for  the  scene  of  the  fire.  We  succeeded  in 
saving  about  one-third  of  the  hay. 

On  Peacock's  return  it  was  impossible  to  convince 
him  that  the  Prouses  had  any  hand  in  this,  or  that  they 
knew  anything  of  it.  He  continued  his  former  relations 
with  them  for  about,  a  month  after  this  time,  having 
gone  to  board  with  them.  One  day  a  dispute  arose  at 
the  dinner  table,  and  the  two  Prouse  brothers  set  upon 
him,  one  of  them  armed  with  something  that  the  evi 
dence  afterwards  disclosed  as  being  somewhat  like  a 
-  butcher's  cleaver.  .  They  cut  and  hacked  Peacock  up  in 
a  terrible  manner,  so  that  for  a  long  time  his  life  was 
despaired  of.  For  this  offense  I  had  Daniel  Prouse  sent 
to  the  penitentiary,  and  we  continued  to  hold  possession. 
The  land  being  desirable  farming  land,  others,  see 
ing  that  our  title  could  be  maintained,  commenced  pur 
chasing;  and  thus  Bailhache  was  restored  to  his  pos 
session,  which  put  an  end  to  the  squatter  difficulty  on 
the  Sotoyome  Rancho. 


350  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XLII. 

THE  SQUATTER  WAR — CONTINUED. 

ABOUT  this  time  I  was  requested  to  take  charge  of  the 
Tzabaco  Rancho,  by  John  B.  Frisbie  and  W.  H.  Pat 
terson,  of  San  Francisco,  sending  the  request  by  James 
Clark,  then  sheriff  of  Sonoma  County,  who  held  writs 
of  ejectment  against  all  the  settlers  on  the  Russian 
River  side  of  the  grant.  I  had  been  acting  for  them 
for  more  than  two  years  as  their  agent,  selling  and  leas 
ing  the  Dry  Creek  portion,  where  they  met  with  but 
little  opposition  to  their  title.  But  before  stating  my 
action  on  the  Russian  River  Valley,  I  must  state  one 
incident  that  occurred  on  the  Dry  Creek  portion.  I  had 
been  up  Dry  Creek  serving  some  notices  on  parties  who 
had  not  paid  up,  and  was  returning,  mounted  on  a  gen 
tle  little  mare;  and  while  jogging  along,  right  opposite 
the  widow  Bell's  old  place,  where  there  was  an  old 
watering  trough  and  spring  at  a  large  redwood  stump, 
surrounded  by  a  dense  growth  of  redwood  sprouts,  a 
shot  was  fired.  I  felt  a  concussion,  and  at  the  same 
instant  my  mare  made  a  jump  sideways,  nearly  throwing 
me  from  my  saddle.  I  recovered  myself  and  dismounted. 
I  saw  the  brush  wiggle  and  shake,  and  made  for  the 
point.  The  party  took  to  his  heels,  running  through 
the  thick  brush  and  up  a  very  steep  hill,  and  I  only  got 
a  sight  of  his  back.  He  wore  a  bluish-gray  coat  and  a 
low  black  hat,  and  was  rather  a  short  man,  and  that  was 
all  I  could  tell  of  my  would-be  assassin.  I  was  unarmed 
and  had  no  way  of  stopping  him.  On  examination,  I 
discovered  that  the  bullet  had  passed  through  both  sides 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  351 

of  my  vest,  having  entered  the  right  side  high  in  the 
breast,  passing  through  my  outer  shirt,  in  front,  and  out 
at  the  left  side.  This  was  at  a  time  when  strangers 
thought  us  a  set  of  desperadoes  here,  and  there  was  but 
little  said  about  it,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  add  to  our  repu 
tation  in  that  line.  When  I  came  in  I  showed  it  to  Bail- 
hache,  D.  F.  Spurr,  and,  may  be,  two  or  three  more.  I 
still  have  the  vest,  and  if  this  reaches  the  eye  of  the 
perpetrator  of  the  deed  he  may  congratulate  himself  on 
the  fact  that  I  could  not  recognize  him. 

And  now  to  the  squatters  on  the  Russian  River  side 
of  the  grant,  hostile  almost  to  a  man.  When  the  sheriff 
informed  me  that  he  was  under  my  instructions,  I  told 
him  to  go  home  and  if  I  needed  him  I  would  let  him 
know.  I  then  wrote  to  Frisbie  and  Patterson,  and  told 
them  that  in  case  I  entered  upon  the  hazard  of  attempt 
ing  to  manage  the  squatters,  they  must  give  me  an  un 
conditional  power  to  survey,  segregate,  and  sell  all  the 
lands  upon  such  terms  and  time  as  I  should  deem  proper, 
being  accountable  to  no  one  for  my  actions  in  its  dispo 
sition.  They  immediately  sent  me  the  power,  which 
was  communicated  to  the  settlers  in  a  very  exaggerated 
manner,  they  being  led  to  believe  that  I  would  eject  them 
from  their  homes  without  an  opportunity  of  purchasing 
at  any  price.  Whereupon  their  secret  organization  met, 
I  having  two  trusty  friends  in  that  organization,  who 
hastened  to  me  and  communicated  to  me  so  much  of 
the  proceedings  as  in  their  judgment  was  necessary  to 
preserve  my  life.  I  was  told  by  them  that  it  was  deter 
mined  in  counsel  that  my  death  was  essential  in  order 
to  defeat  the  measures  about  to  be  carried  into  effect; 
and  they  had  adopted  a  resolution  that  if  I  ever  showed 


352  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

myself  upon  the  Tzabaco  Rancho  I  was  to  be  killed  like 
a  snake  by  whoever  discovered  me;  and  in  addition  to 
this,  they  balloted  to  see  whose  duty  it  was  to  be  my 
special  executioner  and  hunt  me  out  and  kill  me.  These 
men  begged  of  me,  under  the  circumstances,  not  to  come 
onto  the  grant.  I  fully  comprehended  the  fact  that  the 
settlers  were  in  a  state  of  desperation,  as  we  held  one 
judgment  over  them  in  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars, 
for  use  and  occupation  of  the  premises,  and  another 
judgment  of  ten  thousand  dollars  obtained  on  injunction 
bond,  making  a  total  of  twenty  thousand  dollars;  to 
gether  with  writs  of  ejectment  against  every  one  of 
them. 

After  due  reflection,  I  resolved  to  "  beard  the  lion  in 
his  den,"  and  to  fight  the  devil  with  fire,  and  when  I  was 
all  ready,  I  hitched  my  pony  to  the  buggy,  and  started 
for  the  Tzabaco  Rancho.  After  placing  a  quart  bottle 
of  old  Bourbon  under  the  buggy  seat,  and  arming  my 
self  in  case  of  trouble,  I  drove  to  the  ranch,  which  is 
about  six  miles  from  Healdsburg,  following  the  Geyser- 
ville  road,  and  adjoining  the  Sotoyome  Rancho  on  the 
west.  I  drove  up  opposite  the  house  of  one  Captain 
Vessor,  then  living  close  to  the  line,  and  saw  the  old 
captain  in  his  yard  hewing  out  a  plow-beam.  I  stopped 
my  horse,  and  called  out,  "  Captain  Vessor,  will  you  step 
this  way?"  He  dropped  his  ax,  and  came  to  the  road; 
when  about  five  or  six  feet  from  the  buggy  he  raise'd  his 
spectacles,  and  recognizing  me,  he  instantly  became  as 
black  as  a  thunder-cloud.  I  jumped  out  of  the  buggy, 
and  confronting  him,  said,  "  I  am  informed  that  you  men 
have  in  solemn  conclave  determined  to  shoot  and  scalp 
me  if  I  ever  came  on  this  grant,  and  as  shooting  is  a 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  353 

^ _  _  .__._.  » 

game  that  two  may  play  at,  I  will  commence  now,"  at 
the  same  time  running  my  hand  under  the  buggy  seat. 
The  old  captain  threw  up  both  hands  and  commenced 
running  backwards,  exclaiming,  "  Don't,  don't."  "I'll 
be  hanged,  if  I  don't  !"  said  I,  at  the  same  time  bringing 
the  whisky  bottle  to  bear  upon  him.  A  pleasurable 
sensation,  after  the  most  abject  fear,  wrought  another 
change  in  the  captain,  when  he  laughingly  exclaimed: 
"  Oh,  God  !  you  might  have  shot  me  with  that  long  ago." 
I  then  gave  the  old  man  a  "  shot  in  the  neck,"  and  bade 
him  get  into  the  buggy;  but  I  frankly  told  him  that  I  was 
through  joking  and  meant  business;  that  for  the  present 
he  was  my  prisoner,  and  must  go  with  me.  He  very 
reluctantly  complied  and  I  drove  to  Geyserville,  only 
holding  him  hostage  to  insure  my  own  safety. 

At  this  place  I  met  Dr.  Ely,  who  I  had  good  reason 
to  believe  was  the  brains  and  managing  man  of  the 
squatters,  he  being  a  man  of  intellect,  and  a  fair-minded, 
reasonable  man  upon  all  subjects  excepting  the  one  at 
issue.  I  dismissed  Vessor,  "  shot "  Ely,  and  took  him  in 
the  buggy,and  continued  my  journey  throughthe  Tzabaco 
Rancho.  I  informed  the  doctor  that  I  came  up  to  sell 
them  their  lands,  and  that  I  proposed  to  give  every  man 
a  reasonable  chance  of  paying  for  the  farm  I  sold  him. 
I  was  aware  that  the  lands  had  been  held  too  high;  that 
the  owners  were  honest  in  their  convictions  of  the  value 
of  the  land,  but  were  mistaken;  and  for  that  reason 
I  had  refused  to  take  the  agency  until  they  gave  me 
carte  blanche  to  dispose  of  them  according  to  my  own 
judgment.  "  But,"  he  said,  with  apparent  surprise,  "  you 
do  not  propose  to  sell  me  my  place  ?  "  "  Why  not  ?  "  I 
asked.  He  replied,  "  I  have  always  heard  that  you  said 


354  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

you  would  not  sell  my  place,  but  had  selected  it  for 
yourself."  "  That,"  said  I,  "  is  just  as  true  as  many  other 
things  you  have  heard  about  me.  I  am  a  Western  man, 
and  am  anxious  to  see  every  man  have  his  home,  and 
will  sell  to  you  just  the  same  as  to  the  rest."  "  But," 
said  he,  "  if  disposed  to  purchase,  how  can  we  ?  We  are 
bankrupts;  with  the  twenty  thousand  dollars  judgments 
hanging  over  us,  we  can  do  nothing."  I  told  him  that 
it  was  not  necessary  to  tell  me  that  they  were  bankrupts, 
for  I  knew  it;  and  continued,  "  It  is  not  necessary  to  tell 
me^that  you  are  a  set  of  ruined  and  desperate  men;  I 
know  it.  It  is  not  necessary  for  you  to  say,  in  case  I 
attempt  to  execute  the  writs  of  ejectment  which  I  hold 
against  you,  that  these  fair  domains  will  be  left  black 
ened  ruins,  and  that  the  inhabitants  will  retire  to  their 
mountain  fastnesses  and  wage  war  against  human  nature 
at  large,  for  I  already  know  it,  and  in  my  present  action 
have  given  due  heed  to  it  all;  yet  I  am  going  to  sell 
every  man  of  you  your  farms,  and  as  fast  as  you  pur 
chase  I  shall  wipe  the  judgment  out  against  the  pur 
chaser  and  again  place  you  in  the  position  of  freemen." 
The  doctor  frankly  admitted  that  if  that  was  my  in 
tention,  then  I  had  been  greatly  misrepresented  to  them. 
I  told  him  that,  having  unlimited  power,  I  intended  to 
be  a  benefactor  and  not  an  oppressor  of  the  people. 
The  doctor  took  me  at  my  word,  rode  through  the  set 
tlement  with  me,  and  advised  the  settlers  to  purchase 
their  homes,  which  seemed  to  them  unusual  advice.  I 
notified  them  that,  on  the  following  Thursday,  I  would 
be  at  Captain  Vessor's  for  the  purpose  of  going  with 
them  over  every  man's  place,  and  fixing  a  price  upon  it 
per  acre. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  355 

I  was  there  at  the  time  appointed,  and  met  the  entire 
settlement,  and  went  over  every  place,  fixing  my  price 
upon  the  land  as  I  passed  over,  and  to  my  surprise  and 
satisfaction  every  one  of  them  thought  that  I  had  put  a 
fair  price  upon  his  neighbor's  land,  but  had  got  his  a 
little  too  high.  The  result  was  that  every  man  purchased 
his  farm  within  the  ensuing  six  weeks,  paying  one-fourth 
down  and  getting  three  years  to  pay  the  balance,  at  one 
per  cent  per  month  interest.  And  what  was  still  more 
satisfactory,  by  the  enlargement  of  time  of  payment,  all 
succeeded  in  paying  for  their  farms,  and  thus  ended  the 
squatter  war  that  had  been  kept  up  for  over  seven  years 
in  the  northern  portion  of  this  county. 

But  before  dismissing  the  subject  I  must  say,  in  justi 
fication  of  these  men,  that  the  most  of  them,  in  my 
judgment,  were  honest  in  their  convictions  that  the 
claimants  either  had  no  title  to  the  lands,  or  if  they  had 
a  title  it  was  fraudulent;  and  that  many  of  them  to-day 
are  among  our  most  respected  and  prominent  citizens. 
Our  old  feuds  are  now  looked  upon  as  a  feverish  and 
disturbing  dream,  or  treated  as  a  subject  of  mirth,  and 
as  for  myself,  the  most  of  the  men  who  once  wanted  to 
see  my  throat  cut  are  among  my  warmest  friends.  I 
will  here  append  a  set  of  resolutions,  expressing  their 
feelings  toward  me  after  our  fight  was  over: — 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Washington  Township, 
and  on  the  'Tzabaco  Grant,'  held  this  day,  without 
distinction  of  party,  the  following  preamble  and  resolu 
tions  were  unanimously  adopted: — 

"WHEREAS,  It  having  become  known  to  us  that  statements  are  being 
publicly  made  to  the  effect  that  Capt  L.  A.  Norton,  of  Healdsburg,  is  re 
garded  with  unfriendly  feelings  by  the  citizens  and  settlers  of  this  town 
ship,  and  knowing  such  statements  to  be  wholly  untrue  and  unjust  to  Cap 
tain  Norton,  it  is  hereby 


356  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

"Resolved^  That  we  recognize  in  Gflpt.  L.  A.  Norton,  a  gentleman 'of 
great  firmness  of  purpose,  and  energy  in  the  discharge  of  duty;  entirely 
impartial  as  agent  between  grant  holders  and  settlers — and  that  his  cour 
tesy  and  friendship  as  evinced  toward  all  who  wished  to  secure  their  homes, 
demand  and  receive  our  hearty  approbation  and  respect,  and  that  we  en 
tertain  for  him  none  but  the  kindliest  feelings. 

''Resolved,  That  all  statements  and  assertions  made  in  relation  to  Capt. 
L.  A.  Norton  in  connection  with  ourselves,  which  are  not  in  accordance 
with  the  above,  are  untrue,  and  very  unjust  to  both  Captain  Norton  and 
ourselves. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  forward  a  copy  of  the  proceedings  of  this 
meeting  to  the  Sonoma  Democrat,  and  one  to  the  Russian  River  Flag,  re 
questing  them  to  publish  the  same. 

"(Signed)  DOWNING  LAMB,  President. 

"ELISHA  ELY,  Secretary'' 

I  can  now  look  back  with  surprise  at  many  of  my 
foolhardy  adventures  while  engaged  as  Egbert  Judson's 
agent  on  the  Sotoyome  Rancho.  I  had  occasion  to 
cross  Russian  River  to  look  after  his  interests  and  went 
over  in  the  morning,  crossing  the  ferry  then  owned  by  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Kibbe.  It  was  lowering  weather 
when  I  went  over,  and  as  the  day  advanced  it  set  in  a 
drizzling  rain.  I  was  absent  the  whole  day,  and  as  I 
came  back  at  night  to  the  river  it  was  getting  a  little 
dusky.  The  ferry-boat  was  kept  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river.  I  commenced  hallooing  for  the  boat,  but  no 
one  paid  any  attention  to  me.  I  know  they  must  have 
heard  me,  for  I  could  hear  them  talking  on  the  oppo 
site  side;  could  hear  the  chopping  of  wood  at  the  house- 
Well  I  hallooed  and  bawled  at  them  until*!  got  tired' 
and  began  to  consider  what  I  was  to  do.  There  was 
no  house  nearer  than  the  Fitches,  and  they  were  entire 
strangers  to  me. 

.The  river  was  much  swollen  by  recent  rains  and  the 
flood-wood  was  coming  down  the  stream  pretty  freely. 
I  was  somewhat  wet  by  the  falling  rain,  and  at  last  made 
up  my  mind  to  attempt  to  ford  the  stream.  I  hunted 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  357 

out  a  long  pole  to  brace  myself  from  Ihe  lower  side  and 
waded  into  the  swift  current,  I  continued  to  wade, 
bracing  myself  with  the  pole,  and  in  that  manner  I  made 
my  way  across.  In  the  middle  of  the  stream  the  water 
came  up  to  the  points  of  my  shoulders;  it  was  late  in  the 
season,  the  water  was  very  cold,  and  I  got  badly  chilled. 
I  was  a  strict  temperance  man,  but  one  druggist  insisted 
on  fixing  me  up  a  dose,  which  I  took.  I  thought  for 
awhile  there  was  a  small-sized  volcano  inside  of  me,  and 
for  a  time  I  felt  pretty  boozy.  The  next  morning  I 
drew  up  a  complaint  against  Kibbe  and  was  about  pro 
ceeding  against  him  for  damages,  when  he  came  into  my 
office,  in  company  with  Mr.  Hugh  Patton,  and  wanted 
me  to  hold  on  and  not  prosecute  my  action.  He  said 
the  river  was  so  high  that  it  was  dangerous  to  run  the 
ferry-boat  owing  to  the  flood-wood.  I  told  him  that 
I  thought  his  defense  would  be  a  poor  one,  when  it  was 
shown  that  I  had  waded  the  stream.  Mr.  Patton 
informed  me  that  he  was  about  buying  the  ferry,  and  if 
I  would  stop  my  action  no  one  should  ever  again  be  put 
to  a  similar  annoyance,  and  it  should  never  cost  me  a 
cent  to  cross  while  he  owned  it.  I  didn't  accept  his 
last  offer,  but  I  stayed  the  action. 


CHAPTER    XLIII. 

CLIPPINGS. 
[From  the  "History  of  Sonoma  County."] 

IN   1861   or  '62  there  was  a  regiment  of  volunteers  or 
ganized    in    Kane    County,   Illinois.      They  met    in 
companies  at  Batavia  to  perfect  the  organization;  they 
first  proceeded  to  elect  their  major;  second,  their  lieu- 


358  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

tenant-colonel,  when,  on  motion,  a  recess  of  fifteen  min 
utes  was  taken,  when  it  was  proposed  that  the  health  of 
Captain  Norton  be  drank  standing,  which  was  informally 
carried  out.  When  the  meeting  resumed  business  it 
was  moved  and  carried  that  Capt  L.  A.  Norton  be 
elected  colonel  of  the  regiment  by  acclamation,  which 
motion  was  put  and  carried  unanimously.  Whereupon 
Capt.  P.  J.  Burchell  moved  that  a  copy  of  the  proceed 
ings  of  this  meeting  be  forwarded  to  Colonel  Norton,  by 
its  secretary,  with  the  request  that  he  come  home  and 
take  charge  of  his  regiment,  which  his  situation  in  this 
county  forbade  him  doing,  for  at  that  time  the  captain 
(or  more  legitimately  the  colonel)  had  his  hands  full  at 
home.  We  are  informed  by  reliable  persons  that  the 
northern  part  of  Sonoma  County  is  much  indebted  to 
the  firmness  and  energy  of  the  colonel  in  keeping  down 
an  outbreak,  as  that  portion  of  the  county  boasted  a 
strong  secession  element,  and  when  it  was  asserted  that 
no  recruits  to  join  the  Federal  army  would  ever  live  to 
cross  Russian  River,  he  organized  and  secretly  drilled 
the  Union  forces,  and  was  at  all  times  ready  to  meet  the 
threatened  outbreak.  And  when  it  was  said  that  no 
Union  flag  should  ever  float  in  Healdsburg,  he  went 
immediately  to  Petaluma,  purchased  one,  placed  it  on 
the  top  of  his  carriage,  carried  it  through  the  country 
to  Healdsburg,  and  nailed  it  to  his  balcony,  where  it 
continued  to  wave.  When  it  was  reported  that  a  rebel 
flag  was  floating  from  the  top  of  a  high  tree,  between 
Santa  Rosa  and  Sonoma,  Norton  made  it  his  business 
to  go  down  there,  in  open  day,  climb  the  tree  and  remove 
the  flag.  And  we  are  informed  that  it  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  Mrs.  Molloy,  of  San  Francisco,  the  colonel 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON. 


having  presented  the  same  to  Dr.  E.  B.  Molloy,  now 
deceased.  The  colonel  still  practices  his  profession  in 
Healdsburg,  and  we  believe  he  possesses  the  confidence 
of  the  whole  community,  as  a  careful,  honest,  and  able 
member  of  the  bar.  _ 

[From  the  San  Francisco  Alta  California.} 

"  HEALDSBURG,  November  12,  1861. 

"EDITORS  ALTA:  On  yesterday  the  citizens  of  our 
town  were  called  to  the  banks  of  Russian  River  to  wit 
ness  the  launching  of  a  small  boat,  built  by  Mr.  Johnson, 
for  the  trial  of  Capt.  L.  A.  Norton's  newly  invented 
wheel. 

"  The  boat  is  nineteen  feet  long  with  four  feet  beam; 
the  wheels  are  four  feet  in  diameter,  with  eight  buckets 
each.  Each  bucket  is  composed  of  five  paddles,  which 
are  perpendicular  to  the  shaft,  worked  by  simple  ma 
chinery,  so  that  each  bucket  is  a  full,  solid  bucket,  by 
the  folding  together  of  the  paddles  when  it  strikes  the 
water;  and  on  leaving  the  water  it  is  again  thrown  open, 
lifting  no  dead  water,  nor  offering  any  resistance  to  the 
air  until  it  is  ready  to  perform  labor  again. 

"  When  a  large  crowd  had  convened  at  the  place,  the 
craft  was  named  by  Mr.  Norton  after  W.  W.  Stow  of 
San  Francisco,  who  was  present,  and  made  a  few  brief 
remarks.  The  W.  W.  Stow  was  then  launched  upon 
the  water,  and  propelled  by  two  men,  at  a  crank  on  the 
shaft.  She  moved  off  gracefully,  amid  the  cheers  of  the 
crowd,  and  the  thrilling  music  of  the  Russian  River  Brass 
Band,  which  attended  to  enliven  the  occasion.  After 
she  had  run  up  and  down  the  river  for  several  hours,  ex 
hibiting  great  speed  and  beauty  and  regularity  of  mo- 


360  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

tion,  the  crowd  dispersed,  satisfied  that  the  new  wheel 
must  undoubtedly  prove  a  success,  and  that  it  is  the 
very  thing  for  which  the  world  has  been  experimenting 
for  the  last,  thirty  years.  W.  A.  M." 

Subsequently  the  annexed  notice  appeared  in  the 
"  City  Items  "  department  of  the  same  journal: — 

"NOVEL  EXHIBITION — ANOTHER  CALIFORNIA  IN 
VENTION. — Quite  a  number  of  persons  on  Steuart  Street 
wharf,  yesterday  afternoon,  were  surprised  at  seeing  a 
Whitehall  boat  shoot  from  under  the  pier  propelled  by 
muscle  brought  to  bear  on  a  pair  of  novel  paddle- 
wheels.  It  appears  that  a  Mr.  Norton,  of  Sonoma 
County,  has  for  some  years  past  been  endeavoring  to 
improve  upon  the  present  paddle-wheels.  He  believes 
that  his  invention  is  calculated  to  effect  the  needed  im 
provements  in  these  respects,  viz.,  that  whilst  the  speed 
of  the  ordinary  paddle-wheel  is  limited,  this  is  limitless, 
and  that  to  any  extent  the  power  can  be  applied,  in  like 
proportion  will  additional  speed  be  obtained.  Further 
more,  he  contends  that  his  wheel  avoids  not  only  the  lift, 
but  drag  of  back  water.  The  wheel  is  composed  of  a  series 
of  paddles  forming  a  bucket,  the  paddles  being  hung 
upon  pivots^  and  opened  and  closed  by  a  shackle- 
bar,  which  has  a  friction  roller  on  each  end,  fastened  to 
the  bucket  by  knees. 

"The  wheel,  whilst  undergoing  the  rotary  motion^ 
brings  the  friction  roller  in  contact  with  cams,  which 
open  and  close  the  bucket.  The  moment  the  latter  has 
performed  its  labor,  the  paddles  make  the  open  revo 
lution  until  they  again  touch  the  water.  The  inventor 
contends  that  in  navigating  the  ocean  in  a  heavy  sea, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  361 

the  dead  force  which  the  ordinary  steamship  wheel  has 
to  encounter  is  completely  avoided,  as  the  vessel  will 
sit  on  an  even  keel,  and  never  submerge  one  wheel  so  as 
to  retard  its  speed. 

"The  experiment  tried  yesterday  seemed  'successful 
so  far  as  the  working  of  the  wheels  and  speed  are  con 
cerned.  The  two  men  at  the  crank  propelled  the  craft 
quite  as  fast  as  two  oarsmen  another  boat,  with  which  a 
trial  of  speed  was  had. 

"  The  inventor  has  filed  his  caveat,  and  formally  ap 
plied  for  a  patent.  A  model  is  now  being  constructed 
in  this  city." 

CHAPTER    XLIV. 

A  VISIT    TO   THE   EAST. 

SINCE  the  events  recorded  in  the  foregoing  chapters, 
I  made,  in  1874,  a  lengthy  tour  to  the  East,  visiting 
the  scenes  of  my  early  life  and  adventures  in  Canada, 
and  also  many  of  the  States  of  the  Union.  I  kept  a 
diary  of  my  travels,  and  the  prominent  occurrences  of 
the  journey,  from  which  I  take  the  facts  herein  set  forth. 
I  started  out  of  San  Francisco  on  "  All  Fools'  Day  "  on 
an  eastern-bound  train.  Among  the  passengers  was  a 
Mrs.  G-  and  her  little  son,  aged  about  eight  years.  Her 
husband,  who  was  an  official  of  Alameda  County,  sought 
an  introduction,  and  placed  his  wife  and  son  under  my 
care.  We  were  soon  settled  in  one  of  the  commodious 
palace  cars,  and  all  within  the  car  soon  became 
acquainted  and,  in  fact,  constituted  a  little  social  com 
munity.  In  reading,  talking,  playing  cards,  and  look 
ing  from  the  windows  at  the  various  external  objects 
24 


362  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

that  caught  the  fancy,  the  time  passed  pleasantly  as  we 
rolled  slowly  along;  for,  here  let  me  say,  I  was  very 
much  disappointed  as  to  the  speed  in  crossing  the  con 
tinent  by  rail.  I  don't  think  they  averaged  twenty  miles 
an  hour.  We  had  crossed  the  American  Alps,  had 
doubled  Cape  Horn,  and  on  the  second  day  were  steam 
ing  up  the  Humboldt  River,  without  a  remarkable  inci 
dent  on  our  trip. 

When   we   arrived  at    the  county  seat  of  Humboldt 
County,  and  when  the  cars  stopped  at    the  depot,  the 
conductor  walked  through  the  cars  and  announced  that 
we  had  twenty  minutes  to  exercise  our  limbs.     I  asked 
Mrs.  G.  if  she  would  like  to  walk  out,  and  she  replied 
in   the    affirmative.     I    looked    at    my    watch,    and    we 
walked   to   the  court   house,  less   than   a  five  minutes' 
walk,  exchanged  a  few  words  with  the  clerk,  and  started 
back,  when   the   whistle   blew,  the  bell  rang,  and  away 
went  the  cars.     The  woman   was  perfectly  frantic,  and 
screamed,   "  My  child!  my  child!"     I   consoled  her  as 
well  as  possible,  telling  her  that  I  would  telegraph  to  the 
next   station  and   have  the  boy  and  baggage  left.     In 
the  meantime  the  cars  had  gone  out  of  sight  and  hear 
ing.     I  had  restored  the  lady  to  quiet,  and  was  meditat 
ing  a  suit  against  the  company  for  damage,  when  to  my 
surprise  the  cars  hove   in  sight,  and   some  one  on  the 
back  step  was   waving  a  handkerchief  most  furiously. 
We  rushed  on  and  were  soon  on  board  again. 

Then  came  the  secret:  The  first  day  out,  a  small 
specimen  of  California's  best  production  passed  from 
my  possession  to  that  of  the  negro  steward,  with  the 
understanding  that  he  was  to  consult  my  best  interests 
while  it  should  be  my  good  fortune  to  travel  in  his 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  363 

society;  and  when  it  was  announced  that  I  was  left,  he 
made  a  furious  dash  at  the  bell-rope,  pulling  it  in  two 
the  first  effort.  He  then  rushed  through  the  cars, 
reached  the  engine,  and  yelled  to  the  engineer,  "  You 
mus'  go  back!  two  ladies  leff,  and  two  suckiri  babies  on 
board"  Such  an  appeal  couldn't  be  resisted,  and  the 
train  backed  up.  I  shall  never  regret  what  I  invested  in 
that  nigger. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  a  route  that  has  already 
been  described  a  hundred  times,  but  will  content  myself 
with  a  truthful  detail  of  what  came  under  my  observa 
tion  as  a  traveler,  that  has  not  been  chronicled  by  more 
able  pens.  The  journey  was  without  accident  or  further 
mishap  until  we  reached  Aurora,  Kane  County,  Illinois, 
where  I  left  the  train  to  visit  my  old  home  at  St.  Charles, 
on  Fox  River.  I  returned  to  St.  Charles  after  an  ab 
sence  of  twenty-two  years,  almost  to  a  day.  I  entered 
the  town  an  entire  stranger,  knowing  no  face  that  1  met 
and  none  knowing  me.  I  had  an  intimate  friend,  one 
Colonel  Burchell,  who,  at  the  time  of  my  leaving  St. 
Charles,  was  a  merchant,  and  hnd  rendered  me  many 
favors.  I  left  him  an  active  business  man  in  manhood's 
prime.  I  was  informed  that  he  now  kept  the  St.  Charles 
Hotel.  Accordingly  I  put  up  at  that  house,  and  found 
my  friend  of  other  days  a  decrepit  old  man,  whom  I 
could  not  recognize  as  being  my  old  friend  of  twenty-two 
years  before.  I  engaged  him  in  conversation;  ate  sup 
per  with  him  and  a  half  dozen  former  friends,  but  none 
knew  me.  Presently  the  conversation  turned  on  Califor 
nia,  and  "  Captain  Norton  "  vvas  the  first  one  inquired  for. 
I  told  Burchell  that  I  knew  him  very  well;  that  he  lived 
in  my  town,  and,  after  answering  many  inquiries  regard- 


364  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ing  him,  I  remarked  that  I  didn't  suppose  they  could 
recognize  Norton  now,  if  they  were  to  meet  him.  But 
they  all  declared  that  they  would  know  him  the  minute 
they  put  their  eyes  on  him.  After  amusing  myself  for 
some  time  in  this  way,  I  presented  my  card  to  Burchell, 
.and,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  crowd,  declared  that  I 
was  the  veritable  Norton  that  they  were  all  going  to 
recognize. 

I  next  went  to  the  office  where  I  had  read  law  and 
met  my  old  preceptor,  Judge  Barry.  He  also  had  grown 
very  old.  He  asked  me  to  be  seated.  I  told  him  that 
I  had  a  little  matter  of  business  that  I  wished  to  call 
his  personal  att  ntion  to,  and  handed  him  my  card. 
The  old  man  looked  at  the  card,  and  then  at  me.  In  a 
moment  he  dropped  the  card,  sprang  forward,  seized 
me  by  both  hands,  and  exclaimed,  "  Great  God,  Norton, 
is  this  you!"  He  then  commenced  rubbing  my  head 
and  funning  around  me  like  a  child.  The  news  soon 
spread  that  I  had  returned,  and  then  dozens  of  acquaint 
ances  of  former  years  came  rushing  in,  calling  me  by 
name,  whose  faces  were  as  strange  to  me  as  though  I 
had  never  seen  them  before.  There  was  but  one  among 
all  of  them  that  I  could  have  recognized;  that  was  my 
old  friend,  W.  G.  Conkling,  who  served  as  lieutenant 
with  me  through  the  Mexican  War  (now  Major  Conk- 
ling;.  We  were  as  brothers  through  that  long  and  try 
ing  campaign,  and  our  relations  were  so  intimate  that 
time  and  change  could  not  deface  that  recollection.  I 
spent  three  days,  among  the  happiest  of  my  life,  with 
old  friends  at  St.  Charles,  making  at  least  twenty  prom 
ises  to  dine,  visit,  or  lodge  with  my  old  friends.  I  abso 
lutely  had  to  run  away  to  prosecute  my  journey. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  365 

Leaving  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  I  descended  Fox  River, 
one  of  the  most  lovely  streams  in  the  world,  to  its  con 
fluence  with  the  Illinois,  passing  the  cities  of  Aurora 
and  Oswego  and  many  other  lovely  towns  on  its  banks. 
Then,  going  through  Ottawa  and  crossing  the  Illinois 
and  Vermilion  Rivers,  I  visited  the  great  coal-fields  of 
the  West  at  Streater,  La  Salle  County,  Illinois.  This 
place  is  but  about  four  years  old,  and  contains  from  six 
thousand  to  seven  thousand  inhabitants.  It  very  much 
reminds  the  California  traveler  of  a  mining  town  in 
1852.  It  is  principally  a  wooden  town,  sprung  up  as  by 
magic,  and  bright  new  shanties  meet  the  eye  in  all  direc 
tions.  They  seem  to  have  a  well  organized  city  gov 
ernment  and  all  is  one  wild  rush  and  bustle.  There  are 
now  five  railroads  centering  in  the  town,  with  coal-cars 
leaving  in  all  directions,  while  the  various  hoisting 
works,  propelled  by  steam,  are  tugging  and  puffing  on 
all  sides.  There  are  three  distinct  strata  of  coal,  lying 
from  eighty  to  four  hundred  feet  below  the  surface. 

From  this  region  I  retraced  my  steps  to  Aurora,  and 
went  thence  to  Chicago.  I  will  give  but  little  space  to 
a  description  of  this  great  mart  of  the  West,  as,  espe 
cially  since  its  recent  disaster,  it  has  so  often  been  de 
scribed  that  all  who  read  know  what  Chicago  was  before 
and  at  the  time  of  the  great  fire.  All  that  it  is  necessary 
to  say  here  is  that  it  has  arisen  from  its  ashes  more  beau 
tiful  than  before,  and  all  the  evidences  that  are  left  of  its 
calamity  are  here  and  there  a  scar  that  looks  as  though 
there  had  been  a  local  fire.  Chicago  is  the  shining  light 
of  the  West.  It  owes  its  present  existence  to  the  East, 
to  whom  it  is  mortgaged.  There  are  two  places  that  the 
traveler  should  be  sure  to  visit — the  tunnel  under  the 
Chicago  River  and  the  Lake  Water  Works. 


366  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

I  cannot  leave  the  great  West  without  speaking  gen 
erally  of  the  improvements  of  the  great  Mississippi 
Basin.  I  visited  Chicago  in  the  fall  of  1837  for  the  first 
time,  when  but  a  boy.  It  was  but  a  small  village  then- 
The  frame  of  the  old  United  States  House  had  just  been 
raised  at  the  west  end  of  Randolph  Bridge.  Colonel 
Bobion  lived  near  the  old  fort  on  the  lake  shore,  in  his 
log-cabin  lined  inside  with  birch  bark,  and  Lake  Street 
was  a  first-class  mud-hole.  Now  (1874)  the  city  boasts 
about  a  quarter  million  inhabitants.  At  the  time  to 
which  I  refer,  the  whole  country  lying  between  the  great 
lakes  and  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  was  com 
paratively  an  unbroken  wild,  with  only  here  and  there 
the  rudely-built  shelter  of  the  early  pioneer  or  hunter, 
and  the  only  guides  from  the  settlements  to  their  new 
homes  were  the  trails  left  by  General  Scott's  troops  and 
the  brands  of  their  camp-fires  while  marching  to  chas 
tise  the  hostile  tribes  of  the  West.  But  what  a  change  ! 
The  human  mind  can  hardly  comprehend  it.  In  the 
short  space  of  thirty-seven  years  this  mighty  empire 
of  the  West  has  sprung  into  existence.  And  what  a 
change  even  from  twenty  years  ago,  where  the  little 
"  balloon  frame "  or  log-cabin,  with  a  hovel  for  stock, 
covered  with  straw  or  prairie  grass,  where  the  fierce 
winds  of  our  Western  winters  would  penetrate  every 
pore  as  they  howled  over  the  vast  prairies,  without  a  tree 
or  bush  to  check  them!  Now,  where  stood  the  lowly 
cabin,  you  may  see  a  noble  building  two  or  three  stories 
in  height  with  a  beautiful  observatory  covering  its  top; 
and  where  stood  the  straw-thatched  hovel,  you  may  see 
clustered  splendid  granaries  and  stock  barns,  all  well 
sheltered  and  protected  with  a  fine,  thrifty  grove  of 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  367 

timber.  Add  to  that  a  thick  hedge  of  Osage  orange 
or  thorn  surrounding  the  whole  premises,  and  you  have 
the  present  appearance  of  the  home  of  the  thrifty  West 
ern  farmer.  One  of  the  most  memorable  changes  that 
meets  the  eye  of  the  traveler  who  has  not  visited  the 
West  for  many  years,  is  the  great  increase  of  timber. 
The  farmers,  who  in  many  parts  of  the  West  have  im 
poverished  their  farms  by  constant  cropping,  have  been 
compelled  to  change  their  tactics,  and  are  now  grazing 
them  with  dairy  cows.  The  consequence  is  that  at  a 
distance  of  every  eight  or  ten  miles,  there  is  a  steam 
cheese  and  butter  factory.  By  the  change  referred  to, 
the  farmer  is  restoring  the  land  to  its  former  richness, 
and  I  was  informed  that  it  pays  better  than  grain  rais 
ing.  While  the  war  has  had  the  effect  in  the  East  of 
making  the  rich  richer,  and  the  poor  poorer,  the  West 
has  felt  a  general  impetus  that  has  reached  all  classes. 

I  continued  my  journey  eastward  by  the  Michigan 
Central  road,  April  11.  It  was  exceedingly  cold  in 
Chicago  when  I  left.  It  seemed  as  though  the  north 
wind  from  Lake  Michigan  would  cut  a  Californian  in 
two,  and,  in  fact,  I  had  not  been  out  of  sight  of  snow 
from  the  time  I  reached  the  summit  of  the  Sierra.  I 
reached  Detroit  about  two  o'clock  Sunday  morning, 
April  12.  Detroit  is  a  splendid  city.  It  is  beauti 
fully  located  on  the  St.  Clair  River,  and  is  among  the 
oldest  towns  of  America,  settled  by  the  French.  This 
is  the  town  that  was  surrendered  to  the  British  by  Gen 
eral  Hull,  in  the  war  of  1812,  at  the  time  of  "Hull's 
Surrender."  There  is  a  very  fine  depot  there,  and  the 
city  contains  many  beautiful  public  buildings,  hand 
somely  flagged  sidewalks,  and  many  ornamental  trees. 


3C8  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

The  city  contains  about  one  hundred  thousand  inhabit 
ants,  but  the  old  French  stock  is  pretty  well  worked 
out. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I3th  I  crossed  the  St.  Clair 
River  into  Upper  Canada,  taking  the  Grand  Trunk  road, 
and  arrived  in  London  about  four  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon.  Again  in  London !  After  an  absence  of  thirty- 
seven  years  I  was  again  visiting  the  spot  where  I  had 
been  a  prisoner  for  nine  months,  indicted  for  high  trea 
son,  and  banished  from  her  Britannic  majesty's  domin 
ions  during  my  natural  life.  I  left,  a  boy  in  my  seven 
teenth  year;  I  returned,  a  gray-headed  man  !  At  my 
banishment  I  had  left  many  warm  friends  in  London. 
"  Where  are  they  now  ? "  was  the  first  question  that 
came  to  my  mind  on  my  return,  for  among  those  friends 
were  some  who  had  watched  over  the  sick  couch  of  the 
young  rebel  and  to  whose  kind  care  perhaps  I  owed  my 
life.  I  asked  an  old  settler  of  London,  "  Where  is 
O'Brien,  the  merchant?"  He  replied,  "He  is  dead!'' 
"And  Mrs.  O'Brien?"  "  Also  dead!"  "Where  is 
Sam  Parks,  the  former  keeper  of  the  London  prison  ?  " 
"Dead!"  "And  his  wife?"  "She  is  also  dead!'' 
None  who  had  lifted  a  hand  or  voice  in  my  defense  were 
left.  It  was  one  universal  reply,  "  Dead,  all  dead  ! " 

But  there  was  one  thing  to  console  me:  times  had  so 
changed  in  the  Dominion  that  the  old  Tory  party  of 
1836-37  was  at  a  discount,  and  the  reform  party  was 
in  power,  the  British  Government  having  granted  a  gen 
eral  amnesty,  and  conceded  every  reform  asked  by  that 
party.  I  next  visited  the  old  prison  where  I  had  lain  so 
long,  but  there  the  hand  of  time  had  made  no  change. 
I  found  everything  in  the  rooms  where  I  had  been  in- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  369 

carcerated  just  as  it  was  the  day  I  left  them.  There  was 
the  old  bullet-hole  through  the  floor  that  we  had  reamed 
out  to  enable  us  to  send  our  dispatches  to  the  upper 
rooms,  which  were  also  filled  with  prisoners.  I  showed 
the  officials  who  visked  the  rooms  with  me  that  the 
window  sills  were  all  cut  out  below,  around  the  heads  of 
the  spikes;  that  the  gratings  of  our  windows  were  loos 
ened  (with  the  apertures  closed  with  chewed  bread  to 
hide  our  work)  in  such  a  manner  that  the  bars  could  be 
removed  in  fifteen  minutes;  that  nothing  but  the  senti 
nels  around  the  walls  had  prevented  our  escape,  and  many 
other  things  that  excited  the  mirth  of  the  officials  of  the 
present  time.  When  it  was  generally  known  who  I  was, 
the  prominent  citizens  seemed  to  take  an  interest  in 
me,  and  made  my  visit  of  a  week  in  London  a  very 
pleasant  one.  London  is  a  flourishing  city,  supported 
by  oil  refineries,  manufacturing  the  crude  oils  obtained 
in  the  western  district,  together  with  a  large  agricultural 
country  around  the  place. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

VISIT   TO   THE   EAST — OLD-TIME   HAUNTS. 

BEFORE  my  final  departure  from  London  (Canada), 
I  went  up  to  Westminster,  where  I  had  left  four 
uncles  and  about  thirty  cousins.  In  fact,  Westminster 
Street  was  settled  by  Nortons  and  their  descendants; 
but  among  all  the  kin  that  I  had  left,  only  one  remained 
to  tell  the  fate  and  whereabouts  of  the  rest.  This  was 
Frank  D.  Norton.  He  was  wealthy  and  a  prince  among 
good  fellows,  and  spared  no  pains  to  make  me  enjoy 


370  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

my  visit  with  him.  We  rode  around  the  country  and 
visited  old  haunts  of  my  youth,  but  I  could  see  very  lit 
tle  to  remind  me  of  that  long  ago;  for  then  the  clear 
ings  were  small  and  the  forests  immense;  the  fields  were 
stumpy  and  the  hay  and  grain  crops  had  to  be  cut  with 
the  old-fashioned  sickle,  scythe,  and  cradle.  Now, 
scarcely  a  stump  is  to  be  seen,  and  those  vast  primeval 
forests  have  almost  wholly  disappeared  before  the  stroke 
of  the  axman.  Those  who  never  experienced  it  cannot 
for  a  moment  appreciate  or  imagine  the  change.  Where 
I  had  ofttimes  looked  from  a  small  eminence  for  the 
cows,  where  the  range  of  vision  was  less  than  half  a  mile, 
I  could  now  stand  and  look  away  north  to  the  shores  of 
Lake  Huron,  forty  or  fifty  miles  distant,  the  forests  that 
once  obscured  the  view  having  been  almost  entirely 
swept  away.  The  only  timber  now  standing,  where 
every  acre  of  land  was  once  covered  by  a  heavy  forest 
growth,  is  the  sugar  maple,  rail  timber,  and  occasionally  a 
small  wood  lot  for  fuel,  which  is  now  valuable — in  fact, 
more  valuable  than  agricultural  land. 

This  general  clearing  up  of  the  country  has  given  it 
an  entirely  new  face.  Those  who  have  seen  the  emi 
grant  who  crossed  the  plains  from  '49  to  '60,  before  go 
ing  to  the  barber  shop  and  after  his  return  from  it,  may, 
from  that  metamorphosis,  form  some  faint  idea  of  the 
change  in  the  face  of  a  timber  country  by  being  shorn 
of  its  forests.  The  climate  of  Upper  Canada  has  also 
greatly  changed  since  cutting  off  the  timber.  There 
used  to  be  but  little  wind  before  the  country  was  cleared 
up,  and  now  it  is  swept  by  heavy  and  frequent  winds 
from  the  northern  lakes.  The  land  in  Canada  West, 
like  that  of  the  Western  States,  is  much  worn,  and  the 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  371 

farmers  are  resuscitating  the  soil  by  going  into  the  dairy 
business.  The  Canadas  are  .now  shipping  to  England 
thousands  of  tons  of  cheese  yearly.  The  soil  is  natu 
rally  good  in  Canada  West,  taking  it  as  a  whole,  and 
were  it  not  for  the  long,  cold  winters,  it  would  be  a 
desirable  country  to  live  in,  for  at  the  present  time  they 
have  a  very  liberal  system  of  Government — no  inflation, 
everything  reasonable,  and  their  paper  commands  coin 
everywhere.  Among  other  good  things  at  my  cousin's, 
I  found  them  at  the  height  of  sugar-making,  which  per 
mitted  me  to  enjoy  some  of  the  sweets  of  other  days. 
The  sugar  was  as  sweet  as  ever,  but  the  girls — well,  an 
old  man  of  family  cannot,  and  ought  not,  expect  to  find 
them  as  sweet  as  when  he  was  a  young  beau. 

Taking  leave  of  my  "  coz.,"  I  took  a  side  train,  con 
necting  with  the  Grand  Trunk  at  St.  Mary's,  and  after 
a  few  hours'  ride  brought  up  at  Toronto.  We  made  no 
stay  at  this  place,  farther  than  the  usual  halt  for  meals, 
but  even  this  enabled  me  to  discover  that  Toronto  had 
grown  much  since  I  last  saw  it.  Indeed,  it  is  now  a 
very  pretty  city,  the  site  sloping  to  the  south  with  a 
gentle  descent  to  the  lake  shore.  From  Toronto  our 
trip  to  Prescott  was  performed  in  the  night.  Passing 
Kingston  and  other  noted  points,  we  arrived  at  Prescott 
at  the  break  of  day,  at  which  place  we  changed  cars  for 
Ottawa,  the  seat  of  the  Dominion  Government.  Ottawa 
is  situated  on  the  Grand  Ottawa  River,  some  ninety 
miles  above  the  confluence  of  that  river  with  the  St. 
Lawrence.  The  city  is  divided  into  the  upper  and  lower 
towns  by  the  Rideau  Canal,  which  gives  an  internal  com 
munication  between  Kingston  and  Lake  Ontario  and 
the  Ottawa  River.  This  town  has  been  selected  by  the 


372  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Home  (British)  Government  for  the  permanent  seat  of 
the  Canadian  Legislature.*  The  scenery  is  not  surpassed 
by  any  in  America,  unless  by  that  of  California.  Pres- 
cott  and  Ottawa  are  also  connected  by  the  Ottawa  and 
Prescott  Railroad,  which  taps  the  Grand  Trunk  at  Pres- 
cott.  There  is  also  a  daily  line  of  steamers  up  and 
down  the  river  during  the  summer  months. 

The  Russell  House  is  a  fine  hotel,  situated  in  the 
center  of  the  town  in  juxtaposition  with  the  Sappers' 
Bridge,  the  Rideau  Canal,  Parliament  House,  etc.  A 
'few  minutes  take  the  traveler  to  the  suspension  bridge, 
from  which  a  fine  view  of  the  city  can  be  obtained,  as 
well  as  of  the  celebrated  Chaudier  Falls,  which  are 
almost  a  second  Niagara.  The  Government  timber 
slide,  Table  Rock,  suspension  bridge,  etc.,  are  well  worthy 
of  note  by  the  tourist. 

Returning  by  way  of  Prescott,  I  crossed  the  St.  Law 
rence  River  to  Ogdensburg,  New  York.  This  is  a  city 
of  considerable  trade.  It  is  an  old  town  founded  by 
Colonel  Ogden,  an  Englishman  of  great  wealth.  There 
is  an  amusing  anecdote  connected  with  the  early  settle 
ment  of  the  place,  calculated  in  some  degree  to  illustrate 
the  different  ideas  of  the  English  and  Americans  as  to 
the  relations  of  master  and  servant.  After  Ogden  had 
founded  his  town  and  was  yet  largely  engaged  in  build 
ing,  business  called  him  back  to  England  and  he  left  an 
Englishman  in  charge  of  his  works,  who  held  the  com 
mon  English  ideas  of  the  servile  condition  of  the  com 
mon  laborer.  The  hands  were  principally  brought  from 
England,  but  through  sickness  or  some  other  cause,  it 
became  necessary  to  hire  a  few  native  Americans. 
Among  them  was  a  little  American  to  mix  mortar.  He 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  373 

didn't  exactly  satisfy  the  old  John  Bull  boss,  who 
expressed  his  disapprobation  in  rather  forcible  terms,  to 
which  little  Yank  sharply  replied,  when  the  boss,  with 
great  indignation  exclaimed,  "  Give  me  none  of  your 
impudence^  sir,  or  I  will  cane  you  !  "  "  You  attempt  to 
cane  me,"  said  the  man,  "  and  I  will  stamp  you  into 
this  mortar  bed."  The  Englishman  struck  him  with 
his  cane,  and  the  man  kept  his  word.  The  old  boss 
crawled  out  of  the  mortar,  made  his  way  to  an  attorney 
and  wanted  to  know  his  remedy.  "  Who  struck  first  ?  " 
inquired  the  lawyer.  "  Is  that  the  question  you  ask 
me  ?  Why,  sir,  he  gave  me  some  insolence  and  I  caned 
him."  "  That  being  the  case,"  said  the  attorney,  "you 
committed  the  first  assault,  and  if  he  will  drop  it  you  had 
better  let  it  rest.  If  not,  you  had  better  give  him  some 
thing  to  settle  it."  Johnny  Bull  was  indignantly  leaving 
the  office  when  he  was  informed  that  he  owed  a  fee  of 
five  dollars.  He  paid  the  charge,  and  when  he  went 
back  to  where  the  mortarman  was,  the  latter  asked, 
"  Have  you  a  warrant  for  me?"  Being  answered  in  the 
negative,  "  Then,"  said  the  man,  "  I  will  have  one  for 
you."  "Ah,  never  mind,  here  is  a  sovereign  to  treat 
your  friends  with." 

In  time  Ogden  returned  and  was  riding  out  with  the 
old  boss  in  his  coach,  when  they  met  a  Yankee  teamster 
who  gave  one-half  of  the  road.  "  How  different,"  said 
Colonel  Ogden,  "  in  England  a  teamster  would  give  the 
whole  road  and  take  off  his  hat  to  a  gentleman."  "  Ah," 
replied  the  boss,  "  but  in  this  country  he  will  pull  off  his 
coat  instead  of  his  hat."  The  mortarman  had  taught 
him  something. 

We  left  Ogdensburg  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 


374  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  arrived  at  Malone  the  same  evening,  passing  Pots 
dam  and  other  small  places  on  the  way.  I  had  now 
arrived  at  the  base  of  my  communications,  and  heard 
from  home  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  London.  On 
leaving  home  I  had  directed  all  my  correspondence  to  be 
sent  to  Wm.  P.  Cantwell,  Esq.,  of  Malone,  New  York. 
He  and  I  were  little  children  together  at  Norton  Creek, 
Lower  Canada.  Thomas  Cantwell,  his  father,  was 
among  the  earliest  settlers  at  "  The  Creek."  He  was 
our  merchant  and,  in  fact,  the  main  man  of  the  place. 
He  was  noted  for  his  integrity,  and  commanded  the 
respect  of  all  who  knew  him,,  and  prospered  as  such  men 
should.  Where  even  the  advantages  of  a  common 
school  education  were  denied  to  many,  Mr.  Cantwell's 
children  were  sent  abroad  to  school  and  received  liberal 
education.  My  friend,  Wm.  P.,  chose  the  profession  of 
law  and  is  now  a  successful  lawyer,  standing  at  the 
head  of  his  profession  in  Malone,  and,  like  his  father, 
noted  for  his  integrity  as  well  as  his  ability.  He  is 
blessed  with  an  amiable  wife  and  family,  with  all  the 
home  comforts  and  endearing  associations  that  make 
home  happy.  Though  my  visit  with  them  was  a  very 
short  one,  it  was  of  that  pleasing  character  that  will 
ever  keep  its  remembrance  fresh  in  my  mind.  Mr. 
Cantwell's  family  could  tell  me  more  about  my  old 
home  than  all  others  combined,  but  I  hastened  forward 
that  I  might  see  for  myself.  I  was  then  about  forty 
miles  from  my  old  home  at  Norton  Creek,  in  Lower 
Canada.  I  took  the  cars  for  the  Summit,  and  from 
that  place  I  hired  a  buggy  to  take  me  across  the  line 
into  Canada.,  to  the  little  town  of  Franklin,  where  I 
remained  a  couple  of  days  to  visit  friends  and  get 


(UNIVERSITY 
^^SAUFOJlNli^ 

COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  375 

shelter  from  a  snow-storm  that  was  then  raging.  This 
was  about  the  twentieth  of  April,  and  while  others 
thought  the  weather  reasonably  mild,  I  was  compelled 
to  hunt  the  hot  side  of  the  stove  to  keep  warm. 

At  Franklin  I  chartered  a  buggy  to  take  me  to  Nor 
ton  Creek. '  And  now  I  was  to  visit  a  place,  after  an 
absence  of  forty  years,  the  most  cherished  to  me  of  all 
spots  on  earth.  It  was  there  I  had  spent  my  childhood's 
hours,  and  there  centered  all  that  was  pleasant  to  reflect 
upon;  it  was  my  thoughts  by  day  and  dreams  by  night. 
Every  play-ground  was  vivid  in  my  memory  and  the 
enthusiasm  which  I  felt  upon  the  subject  I  cannot  better 
express  than  in  the  words  of  Norton  the  poet:— 

Canada's  wilds  my  early  home, 
I  think  of  thee  where'er  I  roam! 
The  lonely  crag  to  me  endeared, 
Its  mossy  brow  my  childhood  cheered; 
The  rising  hill,  the  creek,  the  dell, 
The  ancient  tree,  the  pond,  the  well — 
All  these  endeared  that  land  to  me, 
Home  of  my  youth  and  infancy! 

But  what  a  disappointment  was  in  wait  for  me ! 
When  I  came  into  the  range  of  my  childhood's  acquaint 
ance  the  first  place  I  recognized  was  the  Proper  farm, 
where  I  requested  my  driver  to  wait  until  I  made  a 
reconnoissance  of  the  premises.  My  rap  at  the  door 
was  answered  by  a  French  woman  who  couldn't  speak  a 
word  of  English,  but  she  called  her  son,  who  spoke 
English.  I  asked  him  who  lived  there.  He  informed 
me  that  it  was  the  widow  St.  John.  I  then  asked  him 
where  the  folks  had  gone  who  lived  there  before  them- 
He  didn't  know;  he  was  born  on  the  place,  raised  there 
to  manhood,  and  never  heard  of  any  other  person  hav 
ing  owned  it  but  his  father. 


376  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

I  then  determined  to  go  to  Mr.  Seivers',  two  miles 
further  on,  and  make  that  my  head-quarters  while  I 
remained  in  the  vicinity,  remembering  that  forty  years 
ago  they  kept  a  very  respectable  hotel  and  but  one 
mile  distant  from  my  father's  farm — my  early  home. 
We  trudged  along  through  a  slushy  mixture  of  snow  and 
mud  until  we  reached  the  Seivers  place,  but  here  I  was 
again  disappointed.  The  old  sign  was  gone  and  the 
house  much  smaller  than  when  I  left  that  country.  I 
entered  the  house  and  inquired  for  Mr.  Seivers.  Quite 
an  old  lady  answered  me  that  her  son  would  be  in  in  a 
minute.  I  asked,  "Is  this  Mrs.  Seivers  ?  "  She  answered 
in  the  affirmative.  I  then  asked  her  if  they  kept  a  hotel, 
and  she  replied  that  they  did  not.  I  told  her  that  I  was  a 
stranger  wishing  to  spend  a  few  days  in  that  neighbor 
hood,  and  would  like  to  stay  with  them.  She  said  they 
were  not  prepared  to  keep  travelers.  I  insisted  upon 
staying,  and  told  her  that  any  accommodations  would 
answer  me.  In  the  meantime  her  son  came  in,  and  I 
saw  that  I  was  likely  to  fail  in  my  efforts,  when  I  made 
the  fact  known  that  I  was  a  son  of  Lewis  Norton.  I 
needed  no  further  passport,  and  a  nice,  clean  room  was 
assigned  me.  On  inquiry,  I  found  that  the  former 
house  had  been  burned  down  and  replaced  by  the  pres 
ent  smaller  one;  that  old  man  Seivers  and  wife  had  both 
been  dead  for  many  years,  and  that  the  old  lady  before 
me  was  the  wife  of  John  Seivers,  who  was  a  young 
married  man  when  I  left  Lower  Canada;  that  he  also 
was  dead,  after  having  raised  a  large  family  of  children, 
who  were  all  married  off  and  now  had  families  of  half- 
grown  Canadians  in  their  turn.  Our  school-house  was 
near  by  and  on  the  Seivers  farm.  I  noticed  that  the 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  377 

building  looked  smaller  than  when  I  went  to  school 
there,  and  they  informed  me  that  it  also  had  been 
burned,  and  replaced  by  a  smaller  one.  I  may  as  well 
say  here,  that  the  whole  country  for  many  miles  has 
been  fillecj  up  by  French  people,  the  former  inhabitants 
having  died  or  removed  to  some  other  parts;  and  that 
everything  is  on  the  retrograde,  it  being  a  cold,  rocky, 
desolate  clime. 

After  becoming  domiciled  in  my  temporary  home,  I 
set  out  on  foot  to  visit  the  old  homestead.  I  well  knew 
every  foot  of  the  ground,  and  a  fifteen  minutes'  walk 
brought  me  to  the  corner  of  our  old  field;  but  to  my 
amazement  I  found  the  field  a  forest!  It  was  covered 
with  a  thick  growth  of  cedars,  six  and  eight  inches  in 
diameter  and  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  in  height.  I  took 
the  second  look  at  the  old  rock  monument  at  the  corner, 
and  satisfied  myself  that  I  was  not  mistaken  as  to  local 
ity.  The  next  search  was  for  my  father's  cooper  shop, 
which  used  to  stand  close  by.  All  traces  of  it  were 
gone,  except  a  few  foundation  stones  that  marked  the 
spot  where  it  had  stood.  I  next  pushed  my  way 
through  the  cedar  forest  for  the  old  house;  but  alas!  the 
house  had  not  only  disappeared,  but  all  evidences  that  a 
human  habitation  had  ever  been  there.  A  stone  quarry 
had  been  opened  precisely  where  the  house  had  stood. 
When  a  child  I  had  set  out  an  orchard  of  apples,  which, 
when  we  left,  had  grown  to  be  quite  respectable  little 
trees.  I  had  since  always  thought  I  would  like  to  revisit 
the  old  orchard  to  see  how  it  flourished,  and  my  longings 
were  now  to  be  gratified.  But  when  I  reached  the  lot, 
not  an  apple  tree  was  there,  nor  the  slightest  evidence 
that  there  ever  had  been  one  planted  on  the  ground.  I 
25 


378  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

then  went  in  search  of  the  old  spring,  to  get  a  drink 
from  the  old  fountain.  But  alas!  no  spring  was  to  be 
found.  I  knew  its  location,  within  a  rod  or  two,  but  the 
winter  was  breaking,  and  every  little  hole  and  hollow 
being  filled  with  water,  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish 
the  spring  from  the  pools  of  rain-water. 

While  I  was  meditating  upon  the  general  change, 
mortified,  sick,  and  dispirited  to  see  all  of  my  high  hopes 
and  bright  dreams  of  a  pleasant  visit  to  my  old  home 
dashed  to  the  earth,  a  stern-visaged,  hard-faced  old 
woman  made  her  appearance  upon  the  scene.,  looking  for 
her  sheep.  She  seemed  to  look  upon  me  with  surprise 
and  distrust.  I  stepped  up  to  her  and  said,  "  My  good 
woman,  can  you  tell  me  who  owns  these  premises  ? " 
'"  'Tis  meself,  shure,  but  me  husband  is  over  the  hill 
at  the  house  beyont.  I'll  show  you."  I  followed  the 
crone  and  found  that  the  portion  of  the  farm  which 
was  a  forest  when  I  left  was  now  cleared  up,  cultivated 
and  contained  the  residence  of  the  family.  At  dark 
I  returned  to  my  friend  Seivers',  with  years  of  romance 
and  bright  dreams  dashed  to  the  earth  by  an  experience 
of  a  couple  of  hours. 

I  wandered  in  the  neighborhood  of  Norton  Creek  a 
week  before  it  was  generally  known  who  I  was,  and  I 
learned  that  all  kinds  of  surmises  and  supicions  had 
been  entertained  as  to  who  and  what  I  was.  I  found 
once  in  a  while  an  old  citizen  who  remembered  our 
family,  but  everything  on  the  face  of  nature  was  so 
radically  changed  that  I  could  not  have  recognized  the 
place  had  I  been  set  down  there  without  explanations. 
The  stream  had  been  dammed  below,  entirely  changing 
its  features;  the  big  marsh — my  old  fishing  ground 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  379 

further  up  the  stream — had  been  drained  and  was  at  this 
time  cultivated  farms.  And  even  the  white  sandstone 
rocks  had  seemed  to  allow  their  faces  to  grow  dark  and 
dirty.  The  whortleberry  bushes  had  disappeared  from 
their  seams,  and  the  wintergreen  was  no  longer  to  be 
found.  At  the  end  of  the  week — the  last  of  April — 
we  had  a  heavy  snow-storm.  I  took  a  sleigh-ride  of  sev 
eral  miles,  with  bells,  robes,  cold  toes  and  fingers;  with 
ears  tied  up  to  keep  them  warm — in  short,  enjoyed  all 
the  pleasures  of  a  sleigh-ride  in  a  Northern  winter. 

Coming  to  the  conclusion  that  I  had  had  enough  of 
my  old  Canada  home,  I  began  to  think  about  emigrat 
ing  again.  I  was  told  that  I  could  take  the  stage  and 
go  to  St.  Rama,  whence  I  could  go  by  rail  to  Montreal. 
The  stage  passed  Mr.  Seivers'  at  about  five  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  I  was  accordingly  up,  dressed  and  ready 
for  the  trip.  The  "stage"  came!  I  found  that  it  con 
sisted  of  a  one-horse  buggy,  with  a  lantern  lashed  on 
the  dash-board  and  a  little  French  pony  in  the  fills.  As 
it  happened,  it  wasn'-t  loaded;  that  is  to  say,  the  only 
seat  for  a  passenger  was  vacant,  but  the  driver  insisted 
that  he  couldn't  take  me,  owing  to  the  condition  of  the 
roads.  I  paid  but  little  attention  to  his  remonstrances, 
piled  in  my  valise  and  lunch-basket  and  directed  him  to 
drive  on.  In  course  of  time  I  reached  St.  Rama  without 
accident,  took  the  cars  and  safely  arrived  at  Montreal  to 
await  the  final  breaking  up  of  winter. 


380  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

CHAPTER    XLVI. 

VISIT   TO   THE   EAST — MONTREAL. 

WELL,  here  I  am  in  Montreal,  one  of  the  prettiest 
cities  in  North  America;  and  how  little  we 
Americans  know  of  it!  It  is  the  largest  and  most  popu 
lous  city,  in  fact  the  commercial  metropolis,  of  British 
North  America.  Situated  upon  an  island  at  the  base  of 
Mt  Royal,  it  occupies  a  very  commanding  position. 
The  island  is  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  miles  long,  by 
ten  or  twelve  broad.  Montreal  possesses  all  the  advan 
tages  both  of  an  inland  and  a  commercial  city.  It  is 
accessible  to  steamships  and  other  vessels  of  three 
thousand  tons  burden,  and,  commanding  the  trade  of 
the  canals  and  lakes,  its  position  with  reference  to  Que 
bec,  Ontario,  the  Great  West,  New  York,  Boston,  Port 
land,  Albany,  Nova  Scotia,  Newfoundland,  Prince 
Edward  Island,  and  many  minor  points,  makes  it,  by 
water  and  railroad  communication,  a  great  center  and 
commercial  emporium.  They  have  gone  largely  into 
manufacturing  in  Montreal.  The  city  was  founded  in 
1643  and  for  many  years  bore  the  name  of  Ville  Marie, 
having  been  originally  settled  by  the  French,  and  for 
a  long  time  it  was  the  head-quarters  of  the  French 
forces  in  Canada,  but  was  surrendered  to  the  English 
in  1763. 

I  have  not  started  out  to  write  up  the  history  of 
Montreal,  but  cannot  in  justice  dismiss  the  subject  until 
I  have  partially  described  two  of  the  most  magnificent 
works  of  art  upon  the  American  continent,  viz.,  Notre 
Dame,  and  Victoria  Bridge.  Notre  Dame,  the  parish 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  381 

church,  was  commenced  in  1823,  and  was  fifteen  years 
in  course  of  construction.  The  ground  structure  is  300 
by  1 50  feet  and  is  260  feet  from  basement  to  the  top  of 
the  towers,  which  is  reached  by  356  steps.  The  struct 
ure  is  stone  and  its  walls  are  of  massive  proportions.  It 
contains  a  bell,  the  third  in  size  that  was  ever  cast, 
weighing  24,780  pounds  and  costing  $25,000.  The 
church  contains  1,500  pews.  The  building  was  con 
structed  by  one  O'Donald,  as  architect  and  builder,  at  a 
cost  of  $1,500,000.  O'Donald  was  a  Protestant,  but  in 
after  life  embraced  the  Catholic  faith.  His  remains  now 
lie  under  his  structure  in  the  church  vault.  From  the 
top  of  the  towers  of  this  church  you  have  a  magnificent 
view  of  all  the  lower  part  of  the  city  and  the  shores  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  for  miles. 

The  Victoria  Bridge  spans  the  St.  Lawrence  at 
Montreal.  The  cost  of  this  bridge  was  $6,250,000.  It 
contains  25,000  tons  of  stone  and  7,500  tons  of  iron. 
The  iron  superstructure  is  supported  on  twenty-four 
piers  and  two  abutments.  The  center  span  is  330  feet,and 
there  are  twelve  spans  each  side  of  the  center,  242  feet 
each;  extreme  length,  including  the  abutments,  7,000 
feet:  height  of  the  bridge  above  low  water,  sixty  feet 
in  the  center,  descending  towards  each  end  at  the  rate 
of  one  inch  in  130  feet.  The  contents  of  the  masonry 
are  3,000,000  cubic  feet;  weight  of  iron  in  the  tubes, 
8,000  tons.  The  tubes  through  whicji  the  railroad  trains 
pass,  are  at  the  middle  span  twenty-two  feet  high  and 
sixteen  feet  wide,  and  at  the  extreme  ends  nineteen  feet 
high  and  sixteen  feet  wide.  The  total  length  from  the 
river  banks  is  10,284  feet,  or  a  little  less  than  two  miles. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  public  buildings, 


382  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

many  of  which  are  perfect  models  of  architectural 
beauty,  but  will  content  myself  by  saying  that  there  is 
in  Montreal  a  greater  display  of  Italian  marble,  Scotch 
granite,  and  Ohio  sandstone  than  in  any  city  I  visited  on 
my  trip.  Montreal  is  a  city  of  boundless  wealth  and 
squalid  misery;  of  rich  clergy  and  poor  laity;  of  silver- 
mounted  hacks  and  ragged  beggars.  No  place  in  the 
city  is  exempt  from  beggars. 

Leaving  Montreal  by  cars,  we  crossed  Victoria  Bridge 
and  took  the  railroad  for  St.  John's,  that  being  the  point 
where  I  expected  to  connect  with  the  Vermont  Central 
road,  on  which  my  fare  was  paid  to  Boston,  Massachu 
setts.  I  presented  my  ticket  and  the  conductor  refused 
to  recognize  it,  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  was  but  a  branch 
road  of  the  Vermont  Central  and  leased  to  outside 
parties.  I  refused  to  pay  and  the  conductor  said  he 
would  have  to  put  me  off.  I  told  him  that  was  all  right, 
but  that  he  must  forcibly  expel  me  from  the  cars;  that 
I  shouldn't  resist,  but  wished  to  reserve  my  legal  rights. 
He  treated  me  very  gentlemanly,  but  said  that  under 
the  rules  he  would  have  to  put  me  off  at  the  next  station. 
In  the  meantime  he  conversed  with  the  Hon.  M.  Mower, 
of  the  Canadian  Parliament,  in  regard  to  the  matter. 
Mr.  Mower  admitted  that  the  conductor's  instructions 
would  require  him  to  put  me  off,  but  he  thought  the 
company  would  finally  be  compelled  to  transport  me 
over  their  road,  and  perhaps  be  mulcted  in  damages 
for  their  refusal  to  take  me  through,  and  for  expelling 
me  from  the  cars.  Mr.  Mower  informed  me  that  he  was 
personally  acquainted  with  the  conductor  and  knew  him 
to  be  an  honorable  man,  etc.  He  also  said  that  the 
managing  agent  of  the  road  was  at  the  next  regular 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  383 

station,  some  twenty  miles  distant;  that  he  also  was 
a  fair-minded  man,  and  that  if  I  would  pay  my  fare 
under  protest  he  would  insure  me  a  favorable  considera 
tion  of  my  case  before  the  managing  agent  of  the  road; 
so  through  his  influence,  I  was  prevailed  upon  to  pay  my 
fare,  under  protest,  to  the  main  line  of  the  road.  On 
our  arrival  I  exhibited  my  through  ticket  to  Boston  and 
a  fair  statement  of  the  case  was  made,  when  the  agent 
directed  the  conductor  to  refund  my  money,  as  my 
ticket  called  for  my  transportation  over  any  part  of  the 
road  to  the  point  of  destination. 


CHAPTER    XLVII. 

VISIT   TO   THE   EAST — BOSTON — THE    HUDSON. 

I  HAD  now  crossed  the  Vermont  line.  We  passed 
along  the  foot  of  Lake  Champlain,  up  Onion  and 
White  Rivers,  crossed  the  Green  Mountains  to  the  east 
of  the  Camel's  Back,  crossed  New  Hampshire,  passing 
through  Concord,  Lowell,  and  many  other  places  of  note, 
and  reached  Boston  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  As  to 
the  country  embraced  in  the  trip  from  Montreal  to  Bos 
ton,  it  appeared  that  the  inhabitants  had  first  tried 
agriculture,  then  grazing  and  stock-raising,  and  finally, 
in  many  places,  they  were  abandoning  the  soil  to  a  second 
growth  of  timber,  and  gathering  themselves  up  into 
manufacturing  villages  and  cities,  resorting  to  the 
mechanical  arts  and  manufacturing  almost  exclusively 
for  a  living.  They  seemed  to  have  come  to  the  conclu 
sion  that  they  could  not  compete  with  the  more  favored 
portions  of  the  United  States  in  agricultural  pursuits. 


384  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Hence  we  must  not  judge  too  harshly  of  the  land  of 
bassvvood  hams  and  wooden  nutmegs. 

My  arrival  at  so  late  an  hour  in  the  night  was  the 
most  unfortunate  of  all  the  incidents  attending  my 
advent  in  Boston.  The  next  morning  I  sallied  forth  to 
reconnoiter  the  city.  Coming  in  so  late  I  had  not 
observed  any  landmarks,  but  with  a  bold  spirit  of 
adventure  I  pushed  along  through  the  labyrinth  of  build 
ings,  without  a  blazed  tree,  chart,  or  compass,  with  the 
intention  of  finding  the  docks,  that  I  might  get  a  view 
of  Massachusetts  Bay  and  Boston  Harbor,  where  there 
was  a  great  tea  party  about  a  century  since.  A  smart 
walk  of  half  an  hour  brought  me — not  to  the  docks, 
but  to  the  place  from  where  I  started. 

Having  procured  fresh  directions,  I  again  started  out 
on  my  search.  This  time,  after  an  hour's  ramble,  I 
found  myself  at  West  End,  instead  of  at  the  docks. 
Here  I  made  more  inquiries,  and  among  them  I  asked 
whether  there  was  any  street  or  road  that  led  out  of 
Boston  except  the  railroad  by  which  I  entered  the  city. 
I  was  told  to  go  to  Bowdoin  Square,  where  I  could  gain 
the  information.  I  took  the  direction  pointed  out  for 
Bowdoin  Square  and  followed  the  devious  streets  for 
another  half  hour,  but  finding  nothing  that  looked  to 
me  like  a  square,  and  meeting  a  street-car,  I  jumped 
aboard  and  asked  the  conductor  where  that  car  was 
going.  He  informed  me  that  it  was  going  to  Bowdoin 
Square.  This  I  thought  was  a  point  gained;  but  after 
several  twists  and  turns  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I 
was  again  duped,  and  that  the  car  was  returning  by 
another  route  to  the  point  where  I  had  got  on.  I  was 
about  leaving  it  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  myself  under 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  385 

the  protection  of  the  police,  when  a  gentleman  on  board 
to  whom  I  had  disclosed  my  troubles  (who,  by  the  by, 
was  a  Californian)  told  me  to  keep  my  seat,  as  the  car 
was  really  going  to  Bowdoin  Square,  and  that  we  were 
on  one  of  the  straightest  streets  in  Boston. 

In  a  short  time  we  arrived  at  what  I  should  call  five 
points,  where  all  alighted  from  the  car.  I  asked  my 
friend  if  this  was  what  they  called  Bowdoin  Square,  and 
he  said  it  was.  I  was  somewhat  surprised,  as  I  had 
brought  up  at  the  same  place  three  or  four  times  in  the 
course  of  my  ramble,  but  never  would  have  taken  it  to 
be  a  square.  In  this  strait  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  money  was  no  object,  and  asked  my  new  California 
acquaintance  if  he  couldn't  be  induced  for  a  compensa 
tion  to  act  as  my  guide  to  aid  me  in  getting  out  of  the 
city.  In  hopes  of  reaching  his  sympathy  I  told  him 
that  I  was  a  married  man,  had  left  a  wife  and  several 
small  children  in  California,  that  I  was  their  sole  depend 
ence  for  a  living,  and  if  he  left  me  I  was  satisfied  that 
I  never  again  would  clasp  them  to  my  bosom,  but  would 
perish  on  the  cow-paths  of  Boston  in  vain  endeavors 
to  find  my  way  once  more  to  the  borders  of  civilization. 
He  being  a  true  Californian,  his  sympathies  were  aroused 
and  he  kindly  offered  me  such  assistance  as  he  could 
give;  but  he  doubted  his  ability  to  act  as  a  guide,  for 
want  of  experience,  as  he  had  been  but  two  years  in 
Boston  acting  as  delivery  agent  of  an  express  company. 
However,  between  my  guide's  experience  and  the  street 
railroads,  I  got  along  pretty  well.  We  found  Boston 
Harbor,  and  in  order  to  get  a  good  view,  ascended  Bunker 
Hill  Monument,  from  which  the  harbor,  bay,  navy  yard, 
and  much  of  the  city  are  seen  to  a  good  advantage. 


386  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

I  don't  propose  to  describe  the  monument,  as  every 
school-child  not  only  knows  all  about  Bunker  Hill  Mon 
ument  (which  is  not  on  Bunker  Hill  at  all,  by  the  way), 
but  everything  else  in  and  about  Boston,  and  much  that 
never  was  there,  for  the  innumerable  presses  of  Boston, 
continually  harping  upon  its  beauties,  have  made  it 
rather  an  ideal  than  a  real  city.  They  have  told  the 
world  not  what  it  was  in  fact,  but  what  their  imaginations 
picture  it.  In  claiming  that  the  picture  of  Boston  is 
generally  overdrawn,  do  not  understand  me  to  say  that 
Boston  is  not  a  great  city,  and  that  there  are  not  many 
things  in  it  worthy  of  admiration.  But  to  return  to 
Bunker  Hill  Monument.  It  costs  the  visitor  twenty 
cents  for  admittance,  and  ten  cents  for  a  little  "guide" 
of  two  leaves  about  one  and  one-half  by  two  inches,  not 
costing  one-fourth  of  a  cent  each,  making  a  charge  of 
thirty  cents  to  enable  an  Englishman  to  see  the  place 
where  his  ancestors  were  slain,  or  the  American  to  see 
the  place  where  the  immortal  Warren  and  his  com 
patriots  fell.  This  fee  must  produce  a  revenue  of. more 
than  two  hundred  dollars  per  day.  By  what  authority 
is  this  toll  demanded  ?  and  to  what  fund  do  the  proceeds 
belong?  If  I  mistake  not,  the  ground  was  a  gift  to  the 
public,  for  the  purpose  to  which  it  has  been  appropriated, 
by  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  the  building  fund,  or  the 
larger  portion  thereof,  was  raised  by  public  subscrip 
tion,  the  residue  having  been  obtained  through  the  in 
fluence  of  the  ladies  by  subscription  and  other  ways. 
If  I  am  mistaken  in  the  above  statement,  I  beg  pardon; 
if  not,  I  reiterate  the  question,  Who  has  a  right  to  de 
mand  a  fee  from  the  visitor,  further  than  enough  to  pro 
vide  a  fund  for  keeping  the  monument  and  grounds  in 
proper  repair? 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  387 

From  what  I  had  read  of  Boston  I  had  been  led  to 
believe  that  I  should  find  a  city  of  granite,  marble,  and 
brick,  but,  on  the  contrary,  I  found  more  common 
wooden  structures  than  in  any  city  of  its  population 
through  which  I  passed  on  my  journey.  Boston  Com 
mon  is  a  very  pretty  place,  though  much  smaller  than  I 
had  expected  to  find  it.  It  was  pretty  in  its  natural 
state  and  has  been  much  beautified  by  art.  Connected 
as  it  is  with  the  National  Gardens,  it  makes  a  very  fine 
pleasure-ground;  but  were  I  the  manager  of  the  premises, 
I  should  either  remove  the  tombs  which  it  contains  or 
•make  a  cemetery  of  the  whole. 

But  there  is  one  thing  for  which  I  give  the  Bostonians 
credit:  instead  of  paying  men  to  cut  down,  dig  up,  and 
destroy  the  old  forest  trees  on  the  public  grounds  (as  our 
wise  men  of  Healdsburg  did),  they  have  carefully  pro 
tected,  cultivated,  hooped,  and  canvased  the  old  mon- 
archs  of  the  forest,  preserving  them  as  landmarks  of 
early  days.  Faneuil  Hall  still  stands,  well  preserved. 
As  unpretending  as  its  appearance  may  seem,  it  was  the 
nest  where  was  hatched  the  bird  that  wrested  a  people's 
rights  from  the  grip  of  the  British  Lion.  The  State 
House  stands  fronting  the  Common,  and  is  a  fine  struct 
ure.  The  legislature  was  in  session,  and  the  Rotunda 
was  closed  to  visitors,  but  by  the  kindness  of  the  ser- 
geant-at-arms  I  was  permitted  to  visit  it.  He  also  fur 
nished  me  a  guide.  From  the  top  of  this  building  I 
had  a  fine  view  of  the  city  and  its  surroundings,  and  my 
guide  pointed  out  many  objects  o*f  interest. 

From  Boston  I  went  west  by  the  way  of  Springfield 
to  Albany,  New  York.  Along  that  route  I  found,  as  a 
general  thing,  that  agriculture,  as  in  New  Hampshire 


388  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

and  parts  of  Vermont,  was  being  neglected,  while  me 
chanical  arts  and  manufactures  were  carried  on  with 
great  spirit  and  seeming  success.  I  took  this  route  for  a 
threefold  purpose,  viz.,  to  see  the  famous  Hoosac  Tun 
nel,  visit  my  old  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  W.  Dickenson, 
and  to  descend  the  Hudson  by  a  day  boat  to  enjoy  the 
beauties  of  its  far-famed  scenery.  The  two  former  ob 
jects  were  abandoned,  owing  to  the  incompleted  state  of 
the  tunnel.  I  arrived  at  Albany  about  one  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  paid  a  hackman  a  dollar  to  take  me  half 
a  square  to  a  hotel,  and  awoke  the  next  morning  to  find 
myself  on  the  shore  of  the  Hudson  for  the  first  time  in 
my  life. 

Albany,  the  capital  of  New  York  State,  is  a  flourish 
ing  city  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Hudson  River. 
It  is  the  oldest  city  in  the  United  States.  The  first 
white  man  who  ever  visited  the  spot  where  Albany  now 
stands  was  Hendricke  Chrystance,  who  was  sent  up 
the  river  to  explore  by  Henry  Hudson,  in  1610.  Be 
tween  the  Indians  and  the  Dutch  the  place  boasted  a 
multitude  of  names,  but  in  the  year  1664,  it  was  named 
Albany,  in  honor  of  James,  Duke  of  York  and  Albany, 
who  afterwards  ascended  the  English  throne  as  James 
II.  The  town  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1686,  under 
Governor  Dougan's  administration.  A  portion  of  the 
town  is  situated  upon  the  flat  running  to  the  water's 
edge  and  a  portion  on  the  bank,  which  rises  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  water. 

The  present  capitol  is  situated  at  the  head  of  State 
Street,  on  a  fine  elevation  overlooking  the  whole  of  the 
lower  portion  of  the  city.  This  building  was  erected 
about  1835,  and  is  now  (1874^  being  eclipsed  by  a  more 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  889 

imposing  structure,  which  is  well  advanced  towards  comr 
pletion — the  "  new  capitol."  At  this  place  the  Hudson 
is  spanned  by  two  fine  bridges,  with  draws  to  allow  water 
craft  to  pass,  although  Albany  may  really  be  considered 
at  the  head  of  navigation  of  the  Hudson.  I  had  some 
difficulty  in  finding  a  steamer  running  through  to  New 
York,  as  the  summer  boats  were  not  yet  making  their 
regular  trips;  but  perseverance  at  length  crowned  my 
efforts  with  success,  and  I  was  soon  floating  down  that 
lovely  river. 

A  Hogg,  a  Scott,  a  Burns,  and  others,  in  their  brill 
iant  productions  with  pen  and  pencil,  have  made  classic 
each  tiny  stream,  every  heath-clad  hill  and  shady  glen 
of  Scotland,  while  farther  south  the  early  poets  have  sung 
the  praises  of  the  Po,  the  Rhine,  Tiber,  and  Danube, 
until  they  have  become  as  familiar  to  the  present  gen 
eration  as  household  words;  but  on  visiting  those  scenes 
the  traveler  frequently  finds  that  the  genius  of  the  poet 
has  overdone  his  subject.  But  here  the  case  is  completely 
reversed;  nature  has  seemed  to  mock  the  genius  of  man; 
for  no  human  pencil  can  paint,  nor  the  pen  of  mortal 
describe,  the  beauties  of  the  Hudson.  And  where  an 
Irving,  a  Willis,  a  Clark,  and  a  Drake  have  failed,  with 
their  descriptive  powers,  to  paint  this  lovely  panorama 
of  nature,  I  should  not  attempt  it.  Lovers  of  the  beau 
tiful  seek  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  that  their  senses 
may  drink  in  their  beauties,  but  the  tongue  can  never 
express  them.  We  passed  the  magnificent  residences  of 
Church,  the  great  artist,  Longfellow,  Washington  Irving, 
and  many  others  whose  fame  is  world-wide. 

The  banks  of  the  Hudson  are  completely  lined  with 
cities,   villages,  and    lovely   country   seats.     Prominent 


390  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

among  the  former  are  Hudson,  Catskill,  Poughkeepsie, 
and  Newport.  It  is  hard  to  say  which  is  to  be  most 
admired,  the  lovely  green  slopes  and  elevated  banks 
above  the  highlands  or  the  wild  mountain  scenery  that 
the  highlands  present.  We  also  passed  West  Point,  the 
seat  of  our  National  Military  School,  which  is  on  a 
beautiful  site.  It  had  been  my  determination  on  leaving 
home  to  visit  my  old  friend,  Josiah  Hasbrouck,  at  New 
Paltz,  but  I  had  become  so  bewildered  and  lost  in  the 
many  objects  of  interest  that,  before  I  was  aware  of  the 
fact,  I  had  passed  the  landing  many  miles,  and  was  con 
sequently  denied  a  visit  from  which  I  had  anticipated 
much  pleasure. 

CHAPTER    XLVIII. 

VISIT   TO   THE   EAST  —  NEW    YORK. 

ON  the  second  day  after  leaving  Albany  we  landed  on 
Manhattan  Island,  which  contains  the  great  store 
house  of  the  world,  and  I  wras  soon  lost  in  the  swaying 
and  jostling  masses  on  Broadway.  I  put  up  at  the  St. 
Nicholas,  and  was  not  long  in  finding  out  that  in  New 
York  style  costs  as  much  as  living. 

The  next  morning  after  breakfast  I  thought  I  would 
take  a  "promenade  down  Broadway"  and  call  upon  my 
banker.  I  had  not  proceeded  on  my  walk  more  than 
two  blocks  when  I  was  accosted  by  a  gentleman  who 
evinced  great  pleasure  in  meeting  me.  He  rushed  up 
furiously,  seized  me  by  the  hand  and  exclaimed,  "  How 
are  you,  Mr.  Jones,"  or  some  other  name  which  I  do  not 
now  remember.  I  remarked  to  him  that  he  had  proba 
bly  mistaken  his  man;  that  that  was  not  my  name,  and 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  391 

further,  that  I  didn't  recognize  him.  "  Is  it  possible  that 
I  am  mistaken,"  he  exclaimed;  "is  not  your  name  so 
and  so,  and  do  you  not  live  in  Cincinnati?  "  I  assured 
him  that  he  hadn't  guessed  my  name,  and  that  I  didn't 
live  in  Cincinnati.  He  begged  my  pardon,  but  remarked 
that  I  must  be  some  near  kin  to  his  friend,  as  he  never 
saw  two  men  look  so  much  alike.  "  My  name  is  Jonas 
Collins,"  he  added;  "what  may  be  your  name?"  I  told 
him  that  was  the  "  old  thing,"  and  that  he'd  better  be  off. 
He  mingled  with  the  crowd  and  was  soon  lost  to  my 
gaze. 

I  pursued  my  way,  chuckling  to  myself  on  his  dis 
comfiture,  as  I  had  from  my  infancy  heard  of  New 
York  sharps,  and  longed  for  the  day  when  they  would 
have  an  opportunity  to  try  their  skill  on  me,  believing 
that  there  was  one  man  at  least  that  was  invulnerable  to 
their  arts.  I  walked  along  in  a  very  happy  frame  of 
mind,  exulting  over  my  victory,  when  a  young  man  of 
prepossessing  appearance  and  manner  rushed  from  the 
throng  of  pedestrians  and  exclaimed,  "  Captain  Norton, 
how  do  you  do!  when  did  you  leave  San  Francisco?" 
I  took  his  extended  hand,  but  told  him  that  he  had  the 
advantage  of  me;  that  I  failed  to  remember  him- 
"Why,"  said  he,  "don't  you  know  David,  of  the  West 
ern  Union  Telegraph  Company,  of  San  Francisco?" 
I  replied  that  I  didn't  remember  him;  that  there  were 
about  a  dozen  of  the  boys  and  I  should  fail  to  recognize 
any  one  of  them.  He  said  he  knew  me  very  well,  hav 
ing  met  me  often  in  San  Francisco.  I  told  him  that  I  was 
pleased  to  meet  him,  or,  in  fact,  anyone  from  California. 
He  said  that  he  had  just  got  in  the  night  before;  was 
putting  up  at  the  Astor  House,  and  asked  me  where  I 


392  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

was  going.  I  told  him  I  was  going  down  to  the  First 
National  Bank  to  draw  some  money.  He  then  informed 
me  that  he  had  come  on  to  New  York  for  the  purpose 
of  settling  a  little  matter;  that  his  grandmother  had  died 
and  left  him  a  small  annuity;  that  he  had  bought  a 
ticket  in  a  lottery  and  was  informed  that  he  had  drawn 
a  prize;  that  he  was  hunting  the  place  to  draw  his  money; 
that  it  was  somewhere  near  where  we  then  were  (he 
thought  it  was  just  around  the  corner),  and  if  I  would 
accompany  him  he  would  go  to  the  bank  with  me  afier 
he  had  got  his  money.  I  consented  to  do  so,  and  we 
soon  found  the  number. 

We  were  admitted  by  a  negro  usher  into  the  presence 
of  the  lottery  man,  who  was  seated  behind  a  long  table. 
He  arose  and  David  presented  his  ticket.  The  man 
remarked,  "  I  suppose  you  think  you  have  drawn  a  fort 
une."  The  young  man  replied  that  he  didn't  know  how 
much  he  had  drawn.  The  lottery  man  said,  "  You  have 
drawn  $401,"  and  handed  the  young  man  eight  fifty-dollar 
greenbacks  and  a  ticket,  saying,  as  he  did  so,  "  This 
dollar  ticket  is  all  the  percentage  that  the  company  has 
in  this  matter,  and  that  ticket  will  be  drawn  at  the  large 
hall  on  Tuesday  next."  "  I  shall  not  be  here  on  Tues 
day,"  said  David,  "  I  am  going  right  back  to  California." 
I  said,  "What  do  you  care  about  the  dollar  ticket?"  and 
he  answered  that  he  would  like  to  know  whether  it  drew 
anything  or  not.  The  lottery  man  suggested,  "  Perhaps 
your  friend  will  be  here."  David  turned  to  me  and  asked 
if  I  would  be  in  the  city  on  Tuesday.  I  replied  that  I 
should,  and  would  see  if  his  ticket  drew  anything,  and 
report  on  my  return  to  San  Francisco. 

But  the  lottery  man  remarked  that  he  had  the  scheme 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  393 

of  the  drawing  and  that  if  David  preferred,  he  could 
have  a  private  drawing  then  and  there;  that  they  did  so 
sometimes  where  men  were  going  to  leave  the  city. 
After  an  exhibition  of  his  scheme,  it  was  agreed  that 
David  should  avail  himself  of  the  private  drawing. 
Among  other  things  it  was  explained  that  where  the 
party  throwing  the  dice  threw  any  number  other  than  a 
prize  number,  it  was  called  a  "  star,"  and  the  party 
neither  won  nor  lost,  but  would  be  compelled  to  repre 
sent  the  ticket  by  putting  up  a  dollar  first,  and  then 
doubling  the  sum  as  often  as  he  threw  "stars,"  and  that 
the  money  so  put  up  was  not  forfeited,  but  at  the  end  of 
seven  throws  the  party  putting  up  took  all  of  his  money 
so  put  up,  together  with  his  prize  in  case  the  ticket  won. 
David  threw  a  "star"  and  "antied"  his  dollar;  the  sec 
ond  throw  was  the  same  and  he  put  up  two  dollars;  the 
third  throw  was  another  "  star,"  and  he  put  up  four  dol 
lars.  Each  time  that  David  put  up  the  engineer  of  the 
game  gave  him  a  ticket.  After  the  third  throw  David 
remarked  that  he  seemed  to  be  out  of  luck  and  asked 
me  to  throw  for  him.  I  did  so  and  won  eight  dollars. 
He  seemed  pleased  and  requested  me  to  throw  again,  he 
putting  up  eight  dollars  to  "  represent."  I  threw  again, 
and  won  four  hundred  dollars.  The  money  was  paid, 
two  hundred  dollars  on  each  ticket,  to  abide  the  issue  of 
the  throwing;  but  we  were  informed  that  we  must  come 
up  twenty  dollars  apiece.  I  was  inclined  to  draw  out, 
"  but  David  offered  to  put  up  for  me,  assuring  me  that  he 
"  saw  into  it,"  and  that  under  any  contingency  we  were 
to  take  down  the  money  that  we  "represented  "  with.  I 
told  him  that  I  couldn't  permit  him  to  put  up  for  me,  so 
I  put  up  the  twenty  dollars.  I  threw  and  it  was  a  "star." 
26 


394  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

I  then  proposed  to  the  lottery  man  to  let  him  keep  the 
two  hundred  which  he  claimed  I  had  won  and  I  would 
take  down  the  twenty  dollars  and  quit.  To  this  he 
wouldn't  agree,  and  said  that  in  case  I  quit  I  forfeited 
the  twenty  dollars.  I  then  thought  I  began  to  "see 
into  it"  myself,  so  I  put  up  twenty  dollars  more  and 
again  threw  a  "  star."  It  then  required  eighty  dollars. 
I  laid  down  a  one  hundred  dollar  greenback  and  threw 
— still- another  "star."  The  lottery  man  said  that  it  now 
required  five  hundred  dollars  to  "  represent,"  and  went 
on  to  explain.  I  told  him  it  was  unnecessary,  as  I  un 
derstood  it;  that  I  had  the  change.  I  took  up  the  one 
hundred  dollar  bill  and  carefully  laid  it  in  my  pocket- 
book,  where  I  had  laid  the  two  twenties  before  it,  and 
put  my  hand  in  my  hip  pocket  for  the  "change." 
Drawing  out  a  six-shooter,  I  cocked  it  and  covered  the 
two  .worthies,  informing  them  that  if  they  moved  a 
muscle  I  would  blow  the  top  of  their  heads  ofT.  The 
lottery  sharp  cried  out,  "Let  me  explain  !"  but  I  told 
him  that  it  was  my  turn  to  explain;  that  they  had 
simply  mistaken  their  man ;  that  they  had  got  me 
into  their  den  to  rob  me,  but  hawks  as  they  were 
their  claws  were  too  short  to  get  away  with  a  California 
chicken.  Again  admonishing  them  to  keep  their  seats, 
for  if  they  moved  it  would  make  me  very  nervous  and 
I  couldn't  be  responsible  for  what  might  happen,  I  kept 
them  covered,  backed  to  the  door,  bade  them  good- 
morning  and  left*having  learned  that  I  was  not  so  much 
smarter  than  the  rest  of  the  human  family  as  I  had 
thought  myself,  and  that  I,  too,  could  be  taken  in  by  a 
Broadway  confidence  man. 

It  was  sometime  before   I   could   really  realize  that  I 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  395 

was  treading  the  streets  of  a  city  of  a  million  inhabitants, 
the  pride  of  our  Republic  and  the  admiration  of  the 
world.  In  1656,  New  York  (then  New  Amsterdam) 
contained  but  1,000  inhabitants;  in  1750  it  contained 
10,000,  and  the  entire  colonies  but  1,000,000;  in  1800 
the  city  contained  60,489;  in  1840,  312,706,  and  now  (in 
1874),  it  is  estimated  that  it  contains  over  one  million. 
The  island  upon  which  New  York  is  situated  has  an 
area  of  but  21^  square  miles,  or  13,600  acres.  As  pre 
viously  stated,  this  city  is  little  less  than  a  mammoth 
store-house,  the  people  locking  up  at  night  and  leaving 
for  their  residences  in  the  surrounding  country,  some 
nearly  thirty  miles  distant,  and  returning  to  business  in 
th  :  morning.  It  is  utterly  impossible  for  any  one  to 
appreciate  the  extent  of  the  New  York  trade  without 
seeing  it,  and  then  the  mind  can  scarcely  comprehend  it. 
Through  the  kindness  of  the  manager  of  that*  mam 
moth  establishment,  I  was  shown  through  Stewart's 
wholesale  house,  from  basement  to  uppermost  room.  I 
think  it  is  six  stories  high,  with  a  large  elevator  to  hoist 
up  and  let  down  customers.  The  retail  sjtore  covers  an 
entire  block,  and  I  believe  the  wholesale  house  does  also 
— at  any  rate  it  is  very  large.  One  floor  is  filled  with 
domestics,  another  with  prints,  another  with  woolen 
fabrics,  carpets,  etc.,  another  with  silks,  fancy  goods,  etc. 
Mr.  Stewart  consumes  the  entire  product  of  fourteen 
large  factories  of  cotton  fabrics.  When  I  was  there  the 
store  contained  between  $8,000,000  and  $10,000,000 
worth  of  goods;  so  I  was  informed  by  the  foreman.  'I 
next  visited  the  retail  store,  which  is  six  stories  high,, 
exclusive  of  the  basement,  and  has  street  entrances  on 
all  four  sides.  I  do  not  know  how  to  make  one  under- 


396  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


stand  its  magnitude  better  than  by  saying  that  the  pay 
roll  shows  over  2,000  clerks  in  the  one  store,  and  I  think, 
at  a  reasonable  estimate,  there  were  at  least  8,000  people 
in  the  store  when  I  was  there. 

I  next  visited  the  gold  rooms  on  Wall  Street,  to  see 
the  "bulls"  and  "bears"  fight,  and  to  me  it  was  a  very 
great  curiosity.  In  fact,  after  having  visited  as  many 
lunatic  asylums  as  I  have,  had  I  been  set  down  in  the 
gallery  blindfolded,  and  had  the  bandage  removed  from 
my  eyes,  I  should  have  taken  them  for  a  set  of  maniacs, 
and  should  have  fully  expected  to  see  them  pitch  into 
one  another  and  fight  to  the  death.  Such  shouting, 
-screaming,  shaking  of  fists  and  fingers,  jostling  and 
pushing,  I  never  before  saw  without  its  ending  in  a  fight. 
I  was  asked  by  a  friend  who  sat  at  my  side,  what  I 
•  thought  of  it.  I  told  him  if  they  were  in  California  a 
commis'sion  of  lunacy  would  be  issued  against  the  whole 
•crowd  and  they  would  be  landed  in  the  Stockton  asylum 
in  less  than  twenty-four  hours.  Nevertheless  there  was 
method  in  their  madness,  for  they  seemed  to  understand 
one  another  perfectly. 

In  my  first  day's  exploration  of  New  York,  I  owed 
•much  to  Mr.  Steinhart,  of  the  firm  of  Dinkelspiel, 
Bloom  &  Co.  I  had  expected  to  meet  my  old  friend, 
Joseph  Bloom,  in  New  York,  but  in  this  I  was  disap 
pointed,  as  he  had  left  for  California  two  days  before  my 
arrival;  but  Mr.  Steinhart  was  master  of  the  situation, 
and  rendered  me  all  the  assistance  that  I  could  have 
asked  of  my  friend,  for  which  I  felt  very  grateful. 
Among  the  public  grounds  which  I  visited  in  New  York 
— all  of  which  are  very  beautiful — were  Central  Park, 
Union  Square,  Madison  Square,  Steuben  Square,  and 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  397 

Castle  Garden.  I  spent  the  most  of  two  days  in  Cen 
tral  Park.  It  is  not  only  extensive  in  its  dimensions, 
but  it  is  lovely  in  the  extreme.  Art  has  made  it  what 
it  is,  for  to  divest  it  of  the  twelve  million  dollars  ex 
pended  on  it,  it  would  be  rather  a  sorry  place.  But  the 
New  Yorkers  seemed  to  go  on  the  principle  that  the 
more  crooked  the  stick  the  finer  the  cane,  and  in  Central 
Park  they  have  verified  the  saying.  Where  the  lake  is 
(inside  the  park)  was  once  a  low  marsh,  covered  with 
such  a  thick  growth  of  brambles,  rank  grass,  and  weeds 
as  to  be  an  almost  impenetrable  jungle,  a  secure  hiding- 
place  for  wild  beasts  and  bad  men.  At  the  northeast 
end  of  the  lake  is  the  cave.  This  is  a  small  concern,, 
but  I  was  informed  by  J.  H.  Parsell,  a  native  of  New 
York,  that  before  the  ground  was  purchased  by  the  city 
it  was  the  rendezvous  of  a  desperate  gang  of  robbe'rs 
who  infested  the  city  and  completely  baffled  the  police. 
Long  and  fruitless  were  the  searches  for  the  hiding-place 
of  the  outlaws  and  their  plunder;  but  when  the  city 
cleared  off  the  ground,  they  found  the  cave,  which  turned 
out  to  be  the  robbers'  den,  as  many  evidences  were  left 
of  the  fact  in  the -way  of  remnants  of  stolen  goods,  etc. 
Croton  River  has  been  a  God-send  to  New  York  City. 
I  do  not  know  what  they  would  have  done  without  it. 
That  stream  has  been  brought  into  New  York  by  canals 
and  aqueducts,  and  is  now  emptied  into  what  is  known 
as  the  old  and  new  Croton  Lakes,  both  of  which  are 
artificial  excavations.  I  could  not  learn  the  area  of 
either,  but  they  are  both  large  ponds  of  water  and  are 
indispensable  to  the  comfort  and  beauty  of  the  city.  I 
shall  attempt  no  description  of  buildings,  further  than  to> 
say  that  the  new  post-office  is  of  most  ample  proportions. 


398  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


and  overtops  all  its  surroundings.  Its  dome  may  be 
seen  from  all  surrounding  elevations.  The  two  abut 
ments,  or  towers,  of  the  East  River  bridge  look  like  the 
Colossus  of  Rhodes  broken  in  two  near  his  hips,  and  his 
legs  left  standing,  one  on  Manhattan  and  the  other  on 
Long  Island. 

Among  the  curiosities  that  I  visited  in  New  York  (for 
I  can  only  mention  some  of  the  most  prominent)  was 
Barnum's  hippodrome,  which  was  the  wonder  of  the  day- 
It  had  been  open  but  three  weeks  and  I  was  informed 
by  good  authority  that  it  had  taken  in  over  sixty  thou 
sand  dollars.  It  had  the  effect  of  closing  the  theaters 
and  other  places  of  amusement.  California's  favorite* 
McCullough,  was  then  in  New  York,  performing  with 
scarcely  a  corporal's  guard  attending.  The  hippodrome 
is'an  immense  institution;  it  is  to  ordinary  circuses  and 
theaters  what  a  steam  locomotive  would  be  to  a  hand 
cart. 

At  the  end  of  four  days  I  had  visited  various  points 
of  interest  in  New  York,  from  Castle  Garden  to  Sixty- 
fifth  Street,  north  and  south,  and  from  North  to  East 
Rivers,  east  and  west;  had  made  the  discovery  that 
Manhattan  Island  was  divided  up  into  one  hundred  and 
forLy-one  thousand,  four  hundred  and  eighty-six  lots,  and 
that  of  that  number,  about  sixty-two  thousand  contained 
buildings  of  some  kind.  I  then  turned  my  attention  to 
the  surroundings  of  New  York.  Sunday  morning,  in 
stead  of  going  to  Brooklyn  to  hear  Beecher  explain  the 
m  >st  approved  mode  of  "  nest  hiding,"  I  took  the  boat 
for  Staten  Island.  I  had  no  acquaintance  on  the  boat, 
and  having  met  with  so  many  rebuffs  from  men  of  whom 
I  had  made  inquiries,  by  their  going  down  into  their 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  399 

shells  like  so  many  clams,  it  was  with  a  good  deal  of 
diffidence  that  I  approached  a  gentleman  and  made 
some  inquiries  in  regard  to  Governor's  Island  and  the 
fortifications  in  the  bay.  To  my  grateful  surprise  I  not 
only  got  a  civil  answer,but  found  the  gentleman  ready  and 
even  anxious  to  give  me  all  the  information  in  his  power 
(and,  by  the  way,  he  was  well  informed).  He  pointed 
out  every  object  of  interest  on  our  route  to  Staten  Island 
— the  numerous  store-houses,  wharves,  fortifications,  and 
public  buildings.  - 

On  further  inquiry  I  found  that  my  new  friend  (for 
such  he  proved  himself),  was  John  H.  Parsell,  of  the 
New  York  City  Post-office.  From  this  urbane  gentle 
man  I  obtained  more  valuable  information  in  regard  to 
New  York  and  its  surroundings  than  from  any  other 
source.  On  our  return  he  accompanied  me  into  the  city, 
pointed  out  many  relics  of  Revolutionary  days,  in 
structed  me  in  my  future  researches,  and  gracefully 
extended  me  all  those  delicate  attentions  that  can  only 
be  found  in  a  heart  of  refinement  and  a  mind  of  enlarged 
views.  He  ^ven  followed  me  with  his  .kindness, 
promptly  forwarding  all  my  letters  after  I  had  left  New 
York. 

I  visited  in  detail,  Jersey  City,  Hoboken,  Williams- 
burg,  Hell  Gate,  Blackwell's  Island,  Governor's  Island, 
and  Brooklyn.  The  last  named  is  one  of  New  York's 
lodging-houses.  Brooklyn  is  a  large  city,  containing 
about  five  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  famous 
for  its  fine  avenues,  public  grounds,  and  the  far-famed 
Greenwood  Cemetery.  The  highest  point  of  Greenwood 
comman  Js  a  pretty  view  of  Governor's  Island  and  the 
southern  portion  of  New  York.  I  had  heard  so  much 


400  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


about  the  beauties  of  Greenwood  Cemetery  that  I  had 
supposed  it  must  be  a  pretty  place  by  nature  and  exten 
sively  beautified  by  art;  but  on  visiting  it  I  found  that 
naturally  it  was  one  of  the  roughest  places  imaginable, 
but  I  honor  the  judgment  of  the  parties  in  selecting  it  as 
a  cemetery,  as  it  never  could  have  been  made  worth  a 
cent  for  anything  else.  So  far  as  art  goes,  she  has  at 
tempted  to  make  up  for  the  defects  of  nature  by  expend 
ing  many  millions  of  dollars — not  to  tell  what  departed 
friends  were,  but  what  they  ought  to  have  been. 

Prospect  Park  is  a  lovely  place  from  its  natural  beau 
ties,  and  its  elevated  position  gives  a  perfect  view  of  the 
eastern  slope  of  Long  Island,  Coney  Island,  and  the 
surrounding  country.  The  Brooklyn  people  are  firmly 
in  the  faith  that  in  a  few  years  it  will  eclipse  Central 
Park.  Taking  New  York  and  its  surroundings  as  a 
whole,  the  American  people  may  justly  be  proud  of  the 
great  metropolis. 


CHAPTER    XLIX. 

VISIT   TO   THE  EAST — PHILADELPHIA  AND  BALTIMORE. 

A  FTER  having  spent  eight  days  in  New  York,  and 
J/~\  familiarized  myself  with  the  city,  and  having  visited 
both  Barnum's  great  hippodrome  and  the  old  Bowery 
theater,  besides  various  works  of  art  and  many  other 
places  of  interest,  I  resumed  my  journey,  passing  through 
New  Jersey,  Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland,  my 
objective  point  being  Washington.  The  route  lay 
through  an  undulating  country,  showing  great  thrift  in 
an  agricultural  point  of  view. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  401 

We  rushed  on  "o'er  river,  plain,  and  hill,"  until  we 
reached  Philadelphia — the  "  Quaker  City."  It  is  situated 
on  the  Delaware  River,  A  short  distance  above  the  bay 
of  the  same  name.  The  selection  of  the  town  site  gives 
evidence  of  good  taste,  as  it  is  located  in  the  midst  of  a 
rich  agricultural  district  and  commands  superior  advan 
tages  as  a  seaport.  There  are  many  historic  memories 
that  cling  to  the  old  town,  and  I  regretted  that  I  had  no 
more  time  to  spend  there.  I  was  much  disappointed  in 
not  finding  my  old  friend,  General  Patterson,  who  was 
out  of  town.  The  city  extends  along  the  Delaware 
River  from  five  to  six  miles  and  extends  west  to  and 
beyond  the  Schuylkill  River.  It  is  the  second  city  in 
population  in  the  United  States,  containing  some  seven 
hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  Though  it  is  about 
ninety-six  miles  from  the  ocean,  by  the  river,  the  tide 
flows  some  distance  above  the  city.  The  soil  in  and 
about  the  city  is  generally  of  a  gravelly  character,  yet 
there  are  some  bold  rocks  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 
The  old  State  House  (now  Independence  Hall)  is  still 
standing  and  well  preserved.  The  old  bell  that  first 
rang  out  the  joyful  notes  of  the  birth  of  the  American 
Republic  still  has  a  tongue  to  speak.  It  was  in  this  hall 
that  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  signed,  and  it 
was  also  the  nation's  capitol,  with  a  slight  intermission, 
up  to  1 800,  when  the  capital  was  removed  to  Washington. 
The  old  capitol  stands  near  the  center  of  the  city,  and 
Philadelphia  may  justly  be  proud  of  her  relic  of  conti 
nental  days. 

At  Philadelphia  the  water  off  the  pier-heads  is  from 
forty  to  fifty  feet  deep,  and  the  shoalest  place  on  the  bar 
below  the  city  is  nineteen  feet  at  low  tide,  which  allows 


402  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ships  of  the  largest  tonnage  to  safely  approach  their 
docks,  giving  the  city  both  a  domestic  and  foreign  trade. 
The  streets  are  all  of  reasonable  width,  and  some  of 
them  are  very  wide  and  beautiful.  Broad  Street,  I  be 
lieve,  is  one  hundred  and  thirteen  feet  in  width.  The 
original  idea  of  William  Penn  was  carried  out  and  the 
streets  of  the  additions,  like  those  of  the  first  survey, 
cross  each  other  at  right  angles.  The  Schuylkill  Mount 
ains  (we  would  call  them  foot-hills  here)  approach  very 
near  to  the  city.  Among  other  things,  Philadelphia  can 
boast  no  less  than  seven  squares  or  parks,  ranging  from 
thirty-five  acres  downwards;  and  many  of  them  are  very 
beautifully  ornamented.  I  learned  for  the  first  time  that 
Philadelphia  was  the  last  resting-place  of  Benjamin 
Franklin,  America's  great  statesman  and  philosopher. 
His  grave  is  in  the  cemetery  at  Christ's  Church,  and  is 
quite  unpretending  when  compared  with  many  in  Green 
wood  Cemetery  whose  inmates  are  only  known  by  the 
amount  of  money  expended  over  their  remains. 

Girard  College  is  a  grand  institution,  and  some  of  its 
regulations  coincide  with  my  notions.  One  is  that  when 
the  student  leaves  college  he  must  be  bound  out  to  learn 
some  useful  trade  or  profession.  The  structure  is  of 
enormous  proportions.  The  building  alone  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  over  two  million  dollars,  together  with  an 
immense  outlay  of  money  on  the  surroundings  and  fixt 
ures,  with  a  large  fund  to  run  the  institution.  All  tui 
tion  there  is  free. 

Another  great  beauty  of  Philadelphia  is  its  fine 
water  works.  Though  it  has  no  Croton  River,  or 
stream  that  can  be  brought  on  a  sufficient  elevation  to 
water  the  city,  yet  I  have  hardly  found  a  city  better  sup- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  403 


plied  with  water;  and  this  is  all  accomplished  by  steam 
power.  The  largest  among  the  water  works  is  the 
Farmington  works.  The  water  is  elevated  ninety-two 
feet,  into  a  large  reservoir,  or  basin,  fr-.m  whence  it  is 
conducted  through  pipes  into  every  part  of  the  city. 
Penn,  after  receiving  his  grant  from  Charles  II.  and 
sending  a  colony  ahead,  eame  to  America  in  1682,  and 
no  reflective  mind  can  visit  Philadelphia  without  coming 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  man  who  could  enter  a  new 
and  wilderness  country  and  use  the  judgment  that  he 
did  in  founding  and  laying  out  a  city,  was  competent  to 
rule  an  empire.  The  old  Dutch  stock  is  yet  to  be  found 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  many  Quakers  in  Philadelphia, 
although  they  seem  to  have  outlived  their  early  preju 
dices,  and  morj  closely  adapt  themselves  to  present  cus 
toms. 

The  whole  route  from  Philadelphia  to  Baltimore 
presents  to  the  traveler  a  bright  and  lively  picture.  The 
soil  seems  to  be  generally  productive  and  the  whole  line 
of  road  is  studded  with  fine  buildings,  orchards,  lawns, 
parks,  and  all  the  conveniences  that  should  surround 
happy  homes.  On  arriving  at  the  depot  I  could  under: 
stand  what  to  me  before  was  a  mystery;  that  is,  how 
it  was  possible  for  the  Baltimoreans  to  so  seriously  annoy 
the  Massachusetts  Regiment  in  the  cars  while  passing 
through  that  city  at  the  commencement  of  the  Rebellion. 
I  found  that  the  locomotive  was  detached  and  a  large 
number  of  horses  hitched  to  the  cars  to  draw  them  up 
a  steep  incline,  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  to  the  second 
depot.  Hence  the  opportunity  for  the  prolonged  attacks 
with  paving-stones  and  brickbats.  This  route  is  still 
adhered  to  by  the  Pennsylvania  Central  Railroad.  Al- 


404  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


though  the  grade  seems  steep,  I  think  it  might  be  trav 
eled  by  steam  power,  but  a  city  ordinance,  I  understand, 
forbids  it.  The  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road  passes  through 
a  tunnel  under  the  city. 

Baltimore  claims  to  be  the  third  city  in  point  of 
population  in  the  United  States.  Such  was  undoubtedly 
the  case,  but  I  do  not  think  the  claim  well  founded  at 
the  present  time,  as  the  whole  population  cannot  exceed 
four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  The  location  of  the 
city  is  a  pleasant  one.  It  is  situated  upon  an  arm  of  the 
Patapsco  River  on  sloping  ground,  gently  rising  from  the 
water  to  an  elevation,  at  the  highest  point,  of  perhaps 
one  hundred  feet.  It  is.on  tide  water  and,  like  Philadel 
phia,  has  a  large  shipping  trade.  There  is  considerable 
manufacturing  at  Baltimore,  and  the  shell-fish  trade  is 
conducted  with  greater  vigor  and  success  than  in  any 
city  of  the  Union.  There  are  piles  of  oyster  shells  in 
various  parts  of  the  city  that  in  height  and  extent  would 
rival  the  famous  Pyramid  of  Cholula.  The  city  is  one 
vast  pile  of  brick  and  mortar.  Here  are  the  finest  pressed 

brick  I  ever  saw. 

• 

I  can  say  but  little  of  the  public  buildings,  as  I  could 
not  afford  the  time  to  make  a  general  survey  of  the  city, 
although  there  were  two  structures  that  came  particu 
larly  under  my  notice.  One  was  Washington's  Monu 
ment  and  the  other  the  Vernon  Church.  They  are  both 
situated  on  a  commanding  eminence,  and  from  the  top 
of  the  monument  you  have  a  beautiful  view  of  both  the 
city  and  harbor.  The  monument  is  round,  one  hundred 
and  eighty  feet  in  height,  built  of  granite  with  a  colossal 
statue  of  Washington  on  top.  The  Vernon  Church 
(Episcopal)  is  the  prettiest  thing  of  the  kind  I  ever  saw. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  405 

It  is  built  in  the  Gothic  style,  small  and  compact;  its 
colorings  are  lively  and  tastefully  arranged,  and  every 
thing  about  it  presents  an  unusually  pleasing  aspect;  so 
much  so  that  no  person  of  ordinary  observation  could 
pass  it  without  being  attracted  by  its  beauties.  The  city 
hall  is  a  noble  building  of  white  marble;  but  I  did  not 
enter  it,  and  consequently  had  to  judge  from  exterior 
appearances.  My  time  was  up,  the  whistle  blew,  and  I 
was  soon  on  board  the  cars  and  rapidly  moving  over  the 
country  that  divides  Baltimore  and  Washington,  arriving 
at  the  latter  place  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

In  penning  this  I  am  not  unmindful  that  it  must  meet 
the  eye  of  many  who  have  visited  our  national  capital, 
among  whom  may  be  some  who  hold  different  views  of 
Washington  City  from  mine;  but  I  always  exercise  the 
right  of  seeing  with  my  own  eyes,  and  I  give  my  own 
estimates  of  men  and  manners.  When  I  arrived  at  my 
hotel  (Willard's)  I  was  soon  surrounded  by  darkey  por 
ters  who  vied  with  each  other  to  see  who  should  get  my 
luggage  and  quarter.  My  experience  had  been,  during 
the  whole  trip,  that  if  a  man  didn't  make  up  his  mind 
to  bleed  freely,  he  had  better  dodge  first-class  hotels. 
The  one  who  takes  your  valise  expects  his  quarter;  the 
one  who  brushes  your  dusty  back  counts  on  a  "piece;" 
the  one  who  takes  your  soiled  linen  to  the  laundry  looks 
for  his  fee,  and  the  one  who  returns  it  expects  you  to 
'"see"  him;  you  ring  for  a  pitcher  of  ice-water  and  it 
costs  you  some  fractional  currency;  the  hand  that  man 
ages  the  elevator  becomes  very  sore  unless  it  receives  a 
"shin  plaster;"  the  waiter  at  table  cannot  hear  or  under 
stand  your  order  unless  you  open  his  understanding  by 
•opening  your  purse — in  a  word,  you  must  subsidize 


406  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

every  lackey  that  comes  in  contact  with  you,  or  you  are 
looked  upon  as  a  cipher.  But  I  could  not  learn  whether 
subsidies  were  first  introduced  into  Washington  by 
negro  servants  or  Government  officials. 

Montreal,  New  York,  and  Washington  are,  in  my 
estimation,  the  three  prettiest  cities  that  I  visited.  They 
show  more  taste  and  architectural  beauty,  with  wide 
streets  and  white  walls,  less  filth  and  more  life,  without 
that  somber  appearance  that  characterizes  many  cities 
of  our  Union.  I  had  often  heard  Baltimore  praised  for 
its  pretty  women,  but  I  saw  none  there.  At  the  time  I 
could  not  account  for  it,  but  on  arriving  at  Washington 
the  mystery  was  solved;  for  when  I  saw  the  array  of 
beauty  there  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  pretty 
women  had  all  moved  to  Washington  during  the  ses 
sion  of  Congress. 

After  dinner  I  ventured  out  into  the  strange  city.  It 
was  a  clear,  pleasant  night,  with  brilliant  moon,  which 
made  it  nearly  as  light  as  day.  I  looked  up  the  long 
avenue  to  Capitol  Hill,  and  there  before  me,  like  a  spec 
ter  in  white,  stood  the  national  capitol,  with  its  lofty 
dome  extending  its  dark  shadow  along  the  background, 
resembling  a  stern  warrior  posted  as  a  sentinel,  with  his 
plu^ne  unstirred  by  a  single  breeze,  keeping  his  night 
watch  over  that  lovely  city  lying  below,  which  was  lit 
up  by  thousands  of  gas  jets,  and  mirth  and  pleasure 
held  their  revels.  Government  officials,  clerks,  and  em 
ployes  have  completed  their  labors  for  the  day  and  are 
now  out  in  force.  Gray-headed  statesmen,  pleasure 
seekers,  and  gallants  are  now  to  be  seen  threading  their 
way  through  the  beautiful  grounds  and  parks,  escorting 
the  softer  sex  of  all  ages  and  conditions,  ranging  from 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  407 

the  most  transcendent  beauty  down  to  mere  bundles  of 
paint  and  powder.  Some  are  seated  in  retired  nooks 
beneath  lovely  green  shades,  where  the  moonbeams 
never  stray.  Near  a  babbling  fountain,  where  the  voice 
is  almost  drowned  by  the  sound  of  many  waters,  may 
be  seen  sighing  lovers  pouring  their  plaints  into  ears  of 
willing  listeners.  In  these  public  grounds  there  are 
lovely  walks  for  the  pedestrian,  drives  for  those  who 
cannot  afford  to  walk,  seats  for  those  who  cannot  stand, 
shade  for  the  retiring,  and  lights  for  the  student. 

"For  oh!  if  there  be  an  Elysium  on  earth, 
It  is  this,  it  is  this." 

The  public  buildings  in  Washington  are  all  white. 
The  capitol,  post-office  department,  and  some  others 
are  at  the  east  end  of  the  city,  while  the  President's 
mansion  and  the  remainder  of  the  public  buildings  are 
at  the  west  end,  near  the  Potomac  River.  Millions 
upon  millions  of  public  money  have  been  expended  to 
make  Washington  what  it  is;  but  this  is  as  it  shoulo^'be; 
we  have  a  national  reputation  to  sustain,  and  how  could 
it  better  be  done  than  by  beautifying  our  capital  and 
grounds. 

I  cannot  convince  myself  that  the  site  for  the  Wash 
ington  monument  was  wisely  chosen.  It  is  situated 
upon  a  point  (once  an  island)  commanding  an  exten 
sive  view  of  the  Potomac  River  and  western  shore  ;  but 
the  ground  where  the  monument  stands  is  so  much 
lower  than  the  capitol  grounds  and  those  of  the  other 
public  buildings  that  the  monument,  from  a  land  view, 
is  entirely  dwarfed  when  compared  with  its  surround 
ings.  The  monument  is  an  imposing  structure.  Wash- 


408  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ington  City  would  be  admired  in  any  country  for 
its  beautiful  streets  and  avenues,  had  it  no  other  attrac 
tions.  There  is  a  large  negro  population,  though  from 
their  servile  position  they  attract  but  little  notice. 

The  next  morning  I  called  on  my  friends  J.  K.  Lut- 
trell  and  Frank  Page,  both  faithful  representatives  of 
our  State  in  Congress.  I  was  much  annoyed  to  learn 
that  they  were  not  friends,  not  even  on  speaking  terms, 
and  that  the  subject  of  their  disagreement  was  such 
that  I  could  offer  no  mediation  ;  and  this  was  rendered 
still  more  vexatious  to  me,  as  I  found  them  both  ap 
parently  laboring  faithfully  (but  each  in  his  own  way) 
for  the  interests  of  their  constituency.  Mr.  Page  was 
domiciled  at  Washington,  had  his  family  with  him,  his 
own  house,  carriage  and  complete  outfit  for  driving  and 
entertaining  friends  and  guests.  In  calling  at  his  house 
I  was  made  to  feel  as  though  I  was  once  more  among 
friends.  As  to  the  quarters  of  Luttrell,  they  seemed 
unpretending  and  looked  more  like  the  workshop  of 
the  laborious  student  and  statesman  than  a  hall  of 
pleasure  ;  and  I  was  not  long  in  finding  out  that  he  was 
a  general  favorite  in  Congress,  and  that  the  defeat  of 
many  of  his  prominent  measures  for  California  was  nei 
ther  owing  to  his  want  of  perseverance  or  popularity, 
but  was  rather  owing  to  a  combination  in  the  East 
against  the  entire  delegation  from  the  Pacific  slope. 
Luttrell  seemed  to  know  everybody  and  perfectly  con 
fused  me  with  introductions  to  notable  characters  whom 
I  could  not  describe  were  I  disposed  to  make  the 
attempt. 

I    had    long   had   a  desire   to  see  Gen.  Ben    Butler, 
and  it  was  now  gratified.     He  was  quietly  listening  to 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  409 

the  debate,  and  looked  as  placid  and  innocent  as  a 
child.  I  was  told  by  those  who  know  him  that  he  is 
one  of  the  most  affable  and  gentlemanly  members  of 
our  national  legislature.  I  had  never  supposed  that 
there  were  a  great  many  listeners  to  Congressional 
speeches,  unless  upon  great  occasions,  though  I  had 
never  thought  that  there  was  such  a  scanty  auditory  as 
I  found,  nor  that  men  would  talk  for  hours  to  reporters 
and  bare  walls.  Upon  expressing  my  surprise,  I  was 
informed  by  an  old  Congressman  that  those  speeches 
were  not  made  for  members,  but  for  the  constituents  at 
home. 

I  saw  the  negro  orator,  Fred  Douglass.  I  should 
suppose  from  his  complexion,  that  he  probably  is  a 
quadroon  and  that  he  owes  his  intelligence  to  white  an 
cestors;  at  least,  he  has  more  ability  than  full-blooded 
negroes  ever  fall  heir  to.  His  head  is  as  white  as  a 
sheet,  and  age  seems  to  be  telling  upon  him.  I  also 
met  Gen.  J.  W.  Denver,  an  old  Californian,  who  told 
me  that  he  was  practicing  law  in  Ohio.  Senator  Cole 
was  also  at  the  capitol,  looking  as  though  he  was  very 
much  at  home  in  its  halls.  But  enough  of  this,  for  I 
met  no  one  in  Washington  unknown  to  fame — even 
Grant  is  known  throughout  the  land — and  they  are  all 
"written  up"  by  more  able  pens  than  mine,  and  as  this 
is  a  simple  story  of  a  traveler  I  leave  biography  to 
others. 

From  the  time  I  left  home  it  had  been  my  intention 
to  visit  Mount  Vernon.  I  accordingly  took  passage  on 
a  steamer  that  made  daily  trips  to  that  sacred  place. 
I  believe  we  started  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  returned  at  four  in  the  afternoon,  and  that  the  dis- 
27 


410  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

tance  is  about  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  from  Wash 
ington.  It  was  a  lovely  morning  as  we  steamed  down 
that  wide  and  beautiful  river.  There  was  not  a  ripple 
on  the  water  and  it  reflected  objects  from  its  smooth 
surface  with  all  the  truthfulness  of  a  mirror.  We  swept 
down  past  Alexandria  and  numerous  fortifications  on 
either  shore,  and  in  due  time  landed  at  Mount  Vernon. 
A  beautiful  custom  here  strikes  the  visitor.  Every 
steamer  that  passes  down  the  river  commences  tolling 
its  bell  before  reaching  Washington's  burial  place,  and 
continues  the  solemn  tolling  until  the  vessel  has  passed 
the  spot.  Mount  Vernon  is  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Potomac,  on  a  high  commanding  point.  The  river, 
whose  general  course  is  north  and  south,  then  makes  a 
bend  to  the  west,  which  gives  a  grand  view  up  and 
down  the  stream.  The  close  observer  will  soon  learn 
on  landing  at  Mount  Vernon  that,  though  he  is  stand 
ing,  as  it  were,  on  holy  ground,  though  pressing  the  soil 
so  often  trod  by  the  "father  of  his  country,"  yet  there 
is  but  little  there  that  Washington  could  recognize, 
were  he  permitted  to  pay  it  a  visit;  for  the  evidences  of 
former  neglect  and  recent  repairs  are  too  apparent  at 
every  glance  to  admit  of  doubt  or  contradiction.  The 
late  improvements  have  been  made  by  the  Ladies' 
Mount  Vernon  Association.  Washington's  tomb  is 
between  the  house  and  river.  It  is  large,  but  un 
pretending,  and  is  composed  of  brick-work  with  iron 
gratings  in  front.  It  contains  the  remains  of  others  of 
the  family,  besides  several  graves  and  monuments  near 
by,  of  other  noted  persons.  The  residence  is  a  com 
mon  two-story  building,  with  porches  above  and  below. 
Some  books  and  paintings  of  the  Washington  family 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  411 

still  remain  in  the  house.  The  grounds  have  been  well 
laid  out  and  cultivated ;  the  trees  are  numerous,  and 
many  of  them  native  forest  productions;  but  the  great 
attraction  is  the  fact  of  its  being  the  last  residence  and 
final  resting-place  of  the  great  American  hero  and 
father  of  a  nation.  We  spent  a  pleasant  day  and  re 
turned  to  Washington  City  in  the  evening,  without  ac 
cident  or  remarkable  incident  outside  of  the  objects  of 
our  visit.. 


CHAPTER    L. 

A   VISIT    TO   THE    EAST — "ON    TO    RICHMOND!" 

AFTER  having  taken  the  principal  cities  of  the 
Union  by  storm  (for  up  to  this  time  there  had  been 
but  little  fair  weather),  and  wishing  to  emulate  the 
heroes  of  other  days,  I  was  determined  to  push  my 
conquests  south.  Accordingly  on  the  24th  of  May, 
1874,  after  arming  myself  with  a  box  of  cigars,  a  flask 
of  old  Bourbon  and  a  box  of  Brandreth's  pills,  I  opened 
the  campaign  by  chartering  a  steamer  (or  at  least  two 
dollars  and  a  half's  worth  of  one)  and  steamed  boldly 
down  the  Potomac,  passing  Alexandria  and  other 
places  of  less  note.  In  about  two  hours  and  a  half  we 
landed  at  Quantico,  where  we  took  the  cars  for  Rich 
mond.  Whether  from  our  approach  or  some  other 
cause,  I  found  the  country  pretty  generally  deserted, 
excepting  by  a  few  contrabands  who  attacked  the  train, 
but  by  bestowing  quarters  they  were  easily  captured. 
The  country  through  which  we  passed  at  some  time 
had  been  cultivated  and  very  well  improved,  but  the 


412  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

land  seemed  to  have  been  worn  out  and  the  farms  neg 
lected.  The  soil  had  never  been  of  a  very  good  quality, 
being  generally  a  gravelly  ridge  covered  with  yellow 
pine  timber.  In  many  places  the  yellow  pine  had 
sprung  up  on  lands  that  had  once  been  cultivated,  and 
had  attained  a  growth  of  from  eight  to  ten  inches  in 
diameter.  In  some  instances  they  were  clearing  off  the 
second  forest,  preparatory  to  cultivation. 

In  due  time  we  reached  Fredericksburg,  a  small  town 
pleasantly  located  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Rappahan- 
nock.  It  was  at  this  point  that  Joe  Hooker  made  his 
big  fight,  and  where  Stonewall  Jackson  and  many  other 
brave  men  fell;  but  not  a  sign  is  left  to  tell  of  that  san 
guinary  struggle ;  not  a  fortification,  trench,  or  earthwork 
is  now  to  be  seen.  I  took  the  town  entirely  by  sur 
prise,  as  there  was  not  a  soul  in  the  place  aware  of  my 
approach.  There  were  but  two  shots  fired,  and  those 
were  fired  by  me.  I  shot  Mr.  Barbour,  an  old  citizen  of 
Fredericksburg,  and  his  companion.  Both  shots  took 
effect  in  the  neck,  and  the-  enemy  surrendered  at  discre 
tion.  After  the  capture  we  were  soon  on  board  the 
cars  and  arrived  at  Richmond  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  where  a  short  struggle  ensued,  but  I  was 
again  victorious.  The  city  surrendered  and  I  estab 
lished  my  head-quarters  in  the  Ballard  and  Exchange, 
having  accomplished  in  one  day  what  cost  the  United 
States  two  years  of  bloody  war  and  untold  millions  of 
treasure  to  do,  and  that  "  without  the  loss  of  a  man  on 
our  side."  I  wonder  if  history  will  do  me  justice. 

Richmond  is  a  beautiful  city.  On  entering  it,  the 
cars  ran  out  to  the  bridge  spanning  the  James  River, 
and  before  me,  spread  out  for  nearly  half  a  mile  in 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  413 

width,  lay  that  lovely  stream,  rushing,  bounding,  and 
dashing  its  spray  upon  the  monster  granite  bowlders 
that  impeded  its  course.  Here  is  one  of  the  first  water 
powers  in  the  world.  It  is  practically  unlimited,  both 
in  fall  and  volume  of  water.  The  banks  are  of  that 
character  that  the  water  may  be  raised  to  any  necessary 
height.  Richmond  has  been  noted  for  its  superior  flour. 
There  were  originally  four  large  flouring  mills,  of  which 
two  remain.  One  was  destroyed  by  fire  during  the 
rebellion  and  the  remains  of  another  were  still  smoking 
when  I  was  there.  But  not  one-thousandth  part  of  the 
water-power  has  ever  been  employed.  The  city  is  sit 
uated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river,  right  at  the  foot 
of  the  rapids,  to  which  point  steamers  of  a  large  class 
run  up.  The  country  around  Richmond  is  fertile,  espe 
cially  the  James  River  bottom  below  and  south  of  the 
city.  It  is  something  like  two  hundred  feet  from  the 
bed  of  the  river  to  the  top  of  the  bank,  which  then 
spreads  out  into  a  level  plain.  The  water  to  supply  the 
city  is  taken  from  the  river,  two  miles  above.  Its  abun 
dance  permits  the  people  to  enjoy  many  miniature  lakes 
and  playing  fountains.  Evergreens,  beautiful  shade 
trees,  green  velvet  lawns,  and  sparkling  fountains  make 
the  large  and  fine  grounds  around  the  State  House 
seem  a  perfect  paradise. 

During  my  visit  to  Richmond  I  tried  to  trace  some 
evidences  of  the  great  struggle,  but  in  vain.  There  is 
scarcely  a  mark  or  a  scar  left  to  give  evidence  of  the 
sanguinary  conflicts  that  raged  in  and  about  the  city. 
My  first  and  greatest  curiosity  was  to  visit  the  old  Libby 
prison,  which  is  situated  between  Gary  Street  and  the 
river.  I  found  it  now,  as  it  was  before  the  war,  an  enor- 


414  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

mous  tobacco  factory,  everything  intact  and  doing  a 
flourishing  business;  the  only  change  in  it  was  a  few  new 
posts,  Eastern  visitors  having  carried  the  original  posts 
off,  piece-meal,  by  way  of  relics.  I  next  visited  Castle 
Thunder,  and  found  a  well-built  machine  shop — "this 
and  nothing  more."  Washington's  residence  stands  on 
the  main  street  of  the  city,  carefully  protected,  and  held 
intact  as  a  relic  of  continental  days.  I  noticed  at  this 
place,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  South,  that  every  evidence 
of  the  rebellion,  so  far  as  it  was  possible,  had  been  ob 
literated.  The  visitor  may  take  the  line  of  the  great 
seven  days'  fight  and  follow  it  clear  down  to  Malvern 
Hill,  and  he  will  see  nothing  to  evidence  it  excepting  the 
graves  of  those  who  fell  in  that  long  and  bloody  action. 
There  is  one  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of  the 
Confederate  dead.  It  is  obelisk-shaped,  built  of  rough 
stone,  and  I  should  think  about  sixty  feet  high,  without 
mortar  or  cement.  Evergreen  vines  are  being  trained 
around  it. 

While  all  reasonable  efforts  have  been  made  to  oblit 
erate  the  recollections  of  our  late  civil  strife,  it  is  pleas 
ing  to  see  how  carefully  everything  has  been  preserved 
that  relates  to  the  great  Revolution  of  our  forefathers. 
Not  only  the  residence  of  Washington  is  faithfully  pre 
served,  but  standing  on  Libby  Hill  is  the  venerable 
St.  John's  Chjjrch,  in  which  Patrick  Henry  delivered  his 
philippics  against  the  English  Government,  and  where 
with  matchless  eloquence  he  urged  our  patriotic  sires  to 
take  up  arms  in  defense  of  infant  liberty.  It  is  true 
the  church  is  somewhat  like  the  boy's  jackknife  which 
had  been  rehandled  and  rebladed,  yet  it  was  the  knife 
his  grandsire  gave  him.  St.  John's  Church,  though 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  415 

sided,  floored,  and  roofed  several  times,  no  doubt  (as  it 
is  a  wooden  building),  is  yet  preserved  and  exhibited 
with  great  pride  by  the  Richmondites  as  the  sacred 
place  that  gave  out  inspiration  to  the  heroes  who  threw 
off  King  George's  yoke. 

In  the  State  House  grounds  stands  the  finest  eques 
trian  statue  of  Washington  that  I  saw  on  my  journey, 
and,  it  is  said,  the  finest  in  the  world.  Around  on  the 
projecting  pedestal,  stands,  in  life  size,  Virginia's  states 
men  and  heroes.  Among  them  are  Patrick  Henry, 
Thomas  Jefferson,  Crawford,  Mason,  and  several  others. 
But  it  would  take  a  large  pedestal  to  contain  the  statues 
of  all  the  great  men  Virginia  has  produced.  Inside  the 
State  House  there  are  many  things  that  to  the  lovers  of 
early  American  history  are  worthy  of  observation. 
There  is  a  great  mass  of  documents  relating  to  revolu 
tionary  days  which  reach  back  even  to  the  first  settle 
ment  of  America,  for  be  it  remembered  that  the  city 
of  Richmond  is  one  of  the  oldest  cities  of  America. 
Among  other  things  in  the  State  House,  I  found  the 
parole  of  honor  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  upon  which  he  was 
released  for  exchange.  It  was  dated  October  28,  1781, 
and  permitted  Cornwallis  to  return  to  England  either 
by  way  of  New  York  or  Baltimore,  and  he  pledged  his 
honor  to  report  himself  for  exchange  any  place  dictated 
by  His  Excellency,  George  Washington,  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  United  States  forces.  I  also  saw,  preserved 
under  glass,  the  original  draft  of  the  Declaration  of 
Rights,  by  Mason.  There  are  also  many  ancient  books 
there  preserved,  and  some  of  them  are  great  curiosities. 
One  was  published  over  five  hundred  years  ago — of 
course  before  the  art  of  printing,  but  I  am  certain  that 


416  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

with  all  our  improvements,  nothing  at  this  day  would 
be  better  executed,  and  it  was  hard  for  me  to  realize 
that  it  was  possible  to  execute  a  work  with  such  uni 
formity  of  letter  and  neatness  of  execution.  The  Vir 
ginians  will  exhibit  to  you  with  equal  pride  the  rock, 
about  seven  miles  below  the  city,  on  which  John  Smith's 
head  was  laid  for  execution  when  rescued  by  Poca- 
hontas. 

But,  by  the  way,  speaking  of  water  puts  a  man  in 
mind  of  fishing.  I  have  a  fine  production  of  the  art 
and  genius  of  this  same  John  Smith.  It  is  nothing  less 
than  a  correct  and  well-executed  engraved  map  of  the 
survey  of  the  State  of  Virginia,  made  by  him.  The 
survey  was  made  while  in  the  colony  and  the  map  was 
engraved  at  London,  England.  Smith  did  not  live  to 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labor  or  to  even  exhibit  to  the 
people  of  England  his  map  of  the  new  world ;  but  a 
traveler  discovered  the  plate  among  some  old  rubbish 
that  was  being  exposed  for  sale  at  auction,  and  bought 
it.  The  copy  in  my  possession  was  kindly  presented 
me  by  the  superintendent  of  public  printing  in  Virginia 
-Mr.  Walker. 

The  mass  of  the  inhabitants  of  Richmond  are  negroes, 
or  more  or  less  mixed  with  negro  blood.  I  found  them 
employed  as  barbers,  mechanics  of  different  kinds, 
house  servants  and  common  laborers,  but  I  never  in 
one  instance  saw  one  of  them  in  a  store,  either  as  clerk 
or  principal;  and  the  matter  struck  me  as  being  so 
strange  that  I  gave  it  my  particular  attention.  Not 
withstanding  the  great  negro  majority  in  Richmond, 
the  city  officers  are  all  Democrats,  many  of  the  negroes 
esteeming  the  carpet-baggers  worse  than  do  the  whites ; 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  417 

and  many  of  the  negroes,  if  their  declarations  are  to  be 
taken  as  true,  regret  the  change  from  slavery  to  freedom. 
They  told  me  that  when  they  could  get  work  it  was  all 
very  nice,  but  when  they  got  out  of  employment,  or 
were  sick,  they  had  no  home  and  were  driven  to  do 
things  which  they  did  not  like  to  do.  On  the  other 
hand,  when  they  were  with  their  masters  they  always 
had  a  home  and  no  care.  I  almost  universally  heard 
them  speaking  of  their  old  masters  with  pride  and  rev 
erence,  and  showing  a  warm  attachment  for  them,  just 
as  the  whites  boast  of  the  name  of  their  ancestors.  I 
would  frequently  ask  them  why  they  did  not  return  to 
their  old  masters  and  live  with  them,  and  the  reply 
nearly  always  was,  "Massa  is  dead,"  or,  "  Massa  is  poor 
now."  I  further  learned  that  where  the  former  master 
is  living,  there  is  generally  a  good  feeling  between  him 
and  his  former  slave,  and  in  many  instances  where  the 
negro  is  out  of  a  home  he  falls  back  on  his  old  master 
until  he  can  do  better.  But  what  is  most  refreshing  is 
to  see  the  plug-hatted  colored  politician  strut  and  swell, 
and  to  see  with  what  contempt  they  look  down  upon 
"  de  po'  foolish  nigga."  I  was  informed  by  the  business 
men  of  Richmond  that  the  city  has  not  been  in  as  pros 
perous  a  condition  for  many  years  as  it  is  at  the  present 
time. 

I  had  intended  going  farther  south,  but  was  dissuaded 
from  my  purpose  by  the  Richmond  people,  who  assured 
me  that  my  trip  would  be  anything  but  pleasant  or  in 
structive.  The  seasons  are  just  about  as  early  in  Rich 
mond  as  they  are  in  this  part  of  California.  Richmond, 
with  her  boundless  water-power,  her  advantages  as  a 
shipping  point,  together  with  a  fertile  country  surround- 


418  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

ing  it,  has  a  future  surpassed  by  few  cities  in  the  United 
States;  and  I  think,  if  from  any  cause  I  should  be  com 
pelled  to  run  away  from  this  country,  the  officers  of  the 
law  might  look  for  me  in  Richmond  with  a  good  pros 
pect  of  finding  me. 

On  Sunday  morning  I  ascended  the  hill  and  took  a 
last  look  at  the  city  of  Richmond,  packed  my  traps, 
bade  good-by  to  the  Ballard  and  Exchange  Hotel,  and 
at  half-past  one  o'clock  took  the  cars  on  my  back  track, 
arriving  in  Washington  about  six  in  the  evening. 


CHAPTER    LI. 

A   VISIT   TO   THE   EAST — HOMEWARD  BOUND. 

1HAD  now  become  very  anxious  (I  do  not  like  to  say 
homesick)  about  home,  and  took  my  way  through 
Harrisburg,  Pittsburg,  Columbus,  and  "  all  intermediate 
points "  to  Cincinnati.  I  would  like  to  tell  you  some 
thing  about  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  but  the  smoke  was  so 
dense  that  it  was  absolutely  impossible  to  see  enough  to 
form  any  opinion  further  than  to  say  that  coal,  smoke, 
and  iron  were  the  principal  things  with  which  I  came  in 
contact.  As  to  Columbus,  it  is  only  remarkable  from  the 
fact  that  it  is  the  capital  of  Ohio.  We  landed  from  the 
cars  at  Cincinnati  in  the  night,  and  I  probably  never 
shall  know  just  how  I  did  get  in,  as  we  went  a  great  dis 
tance  around  the  city  before  the  hackmen  assailed  us; 
but  at  last  I  brought  up  at  the  Burnett  House,  where  I 
got  good  accommodations  at  four  and  a  half  dollars  per 
day.  I  remained  but  one  day,  although  I  regretted  that 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  419 

I  could  not  get  my  own  consent  to  stay  longer.  The 
city  is  built  in  a  bend,  between  the  river  and  the  bluffs. 
The  bench,  or  valley,  is  a  complete  amphitheater,  and  I 
do  not  know  whether  the  ground  was  formed  for  the 
city  or  the  city  for  the  ground;  but  one  thing  is  certain, 
the  city  just  fills  the  space  and  is  a* good  fit. 

I  went  to  see  the  inclined  plane  that  is  constructed  to 
ascend  the  bluff  overlooking  the  city.  It  is  so  arranged 
that  when  one  car  runs  up  the  steep  incline  another  runs 
down,  operating  like  a  couple  of  well  buckets,  one  at 
each  end  of  the  rope.  The  rope  is  made  of  wire  and  is 
about  an  inch  and  a  half  thick.  The  motive  power  is  a 
large  steam  engine  on  the  hill.  The  enterprise  is  still 
young,  although  they  have  a  large  pavilion,  restaurant, 
saloons,  etc.,  and  the  place  is  intended  to  be  to  Cincin 
nati  what  Woodward's  Garden  is  to  San  Francisco,  with 
some  exceptions.  From  this  elevated  position  you  have 
a  magnificent  view  of  the  city  which  lies  at  your  feet, 
and  a  long  stretch  of  the  Kentucky  shore.  Standing  on 
this  commanding  position,  it  is  difficult  to  realize  that 
three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  are  at  once  beneath 
the  vision's  range.  Cincinnati  is  a  great  horse  market, 
and  many  hundreds  of  fine  horses  are  sold  there  daily. 
Real  estate  was  very  low  while  I  was  there,  magnificent 
brown  stone  fronts  being  sold  at  auction.  The  city  has 
a  very  fine  park,  several  public  squares,  and  many  hand 
some  public  buildings. 

As  I  am  homeward  bound,  my  route  lies  through  the 
southern  part  of  Indiana  after  leaving  Ohio.  This  por 
tion  of  Indiana  has  been  heavily  timbered,  and  the  soil 
does  not  compare  very  favorably  vvith  the  middle,  or 
prairie,  portion  of  the  State.  We  passed  Vincennes, 


420  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

crossed  the  Wabash  River,  ran  through  Illinois,  crossing 
the  Kaskaskia  River  at  Carlisle,  and  arrived  at  St.  Louis 
about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  next  morning  I 
was  not  long  in  discovering  that  the  St.  Louis  of  1848 
was  completely  lost  in  the  St.  Louis  of  1874;  and  I,  too, 
was  lost  where  I  was*  once  well  acquainted.  Everything 
had  so  changed  in  appearance  that  the  Planters'  House 
did  not  seem  to  stand  on  the  same  ground  that  it  did 
twenty-six  years  ago.  The  grand  steel  bridge  spanning 
the  Mississippi  River  is  a  magnificent  work  of  art,  and 
the  descriptions  that  have  been  published  are  not  exag 
gerated.  Being  a  traveler  I  was  permitted  to  go  onto 
the  bridge  the  day  before  it  was  opened  to  the  public, 
and  I  had  a  fine  opportunity  to  examine  the  beautiful 
structure.  The  Mississippi  steamers  pass  under  its  im 
mense  arches,  but  the  noblest  of  them  are  compelled  to 
make  their  obeisance  as  they  pass  under  the  spans,  by 
lowering  a  part  of  their  smoke-stacks,  which  is  done  by 
ingenious  hinge  arrangements  and  cable  chains  attached 
to  the  top  of  the  pipe.  The  lowering  and  raising  are 
done  by  steam  power.  On  the  St.  Louis  side  the  bridge 
extends  up  to  Third  Street,  and  over.it  passes  all  busses, 
street-cars,  teams,  and  foot  passengers;  while  the  railroad 
trains  come  under  the  city  by  way  of  a  tunnel  and  enter 
the  bridge  below,  or,  if  you  please,  on  the  first  story. 
St.  Louis  has  very  respectable  parks  and  public  gardens. 
The  largest,  as  well  as  I  remember,  contains  about  thirty- 
eight  acres,  and  is  very  well  ornamented  by  way  of  shade 
trees  and  works  of  art. 

Leaving  St.  Louis  we  traveled  across  Missouri,  visiting 
Kansas  City  on  our  route,  but  in  reaching  that  point  we 
passed  through  a  level,  fertile,  and  what  looked  like  a 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  421 

very  sickly  country,  as  green  pools  and  ponds  of  water 
were  standing  all  along  the  route.  Kansas  City  is  located 
on  the  Kansas  frontier,  in  Jackson  County,  Missouri,  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Missouri  River,  just  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Kansas  River,  and  is  about  fourteen  miles 
from  Independence.  It  is  on  elevated  ground,  and  I 
should  think  it  a  healthy  location.  It  is  well  laid  out, 
the  streets  being  wide,  and  the  most  of  the  buildings 
are  of  brick.  There  are  churches  representing  almost 
every  Christian  creed. 

From  this  point  I  made  a  night  trip  to  Omaha,  arriv 
ing  there  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  after  some 
delays  on  the  east  side  of  the  Missouri  River.  About 
eleven  we  were  on  our  way  for  California,  having  been 
fortunate  enough  to  secure  a  good  lower  section  in  the 
palace  sleeping-car.  We  rolled  along  over  every  variety 
of  country  of  which  the  mind  could  conceive,  but  the 
general  topography  was  barren  and  uninteresting  after 
leaving  the  Platte  River. 

When  I  left  home  for  my  Eastern  visit,  I  left  behind 
me  green  fields  and  buds  and  blossoms  of  spring;  but  on 
nearing  the  Sierra  I  merged  from  spring  into  winter,  and 
continued  to  encounter  winter  weather  through  Nevada, 
Utah,  and,  in  fact,  through  all  the  Western  States,  Upper 
and  Lower  Canada,  Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  and 
Massachusetts.  I  found  spring  again  in  New  York  City, 
and  it  continued  until  I  reached  Richmond,  where  I 
found  summer,  which  held  on  until  I  reached  Omaha, 
when  I  again  came  into  the  season  of  spring.  This 
lasted  until  I  came  to  the  Sierra  Nevada  on  my  home 
ward  journey,  and  there  I  found  my  third  winter  in  one 
year.  But  on  commencing  the  descent  of  the  western 


422  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

slope  of  the  Sierra,  what  a  change  !  and  with  what  pride 
the  old  California!!  would  exclaim  to  those  who  were  visit 
ing  this  State  for  the  first  time,  "This  is  our  country!  " 

As  far  as  the  eye  could  extend,  we  could  see  spreading 
out  before  us  the  ripe,  waving  fields  of  grain,  gently  un 
dulating  in  one  of  California's  soft  and  delicious  breezes, 
reflecting  back  its  rich  golden  hue  in  the  brilliant  rays  of 
a  California  summer  sun.  The  passengers  were  perfectly 
delighted,  each  calling  the  attention  of  fellow  travelers 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  cars,  and  each  believing 
that  he  or  she  had  discovered  a  prospect  surpassing  in 
loveliness  all  others.  .To  those  who  had  never  witnessed 
it  before  the  sight  was  equaled  only  by  that  of  Balboa 
on  discovering  the  Pacific.  Presently  we  came  in  full 
view  of  the  Sacramento  River.  From  our  elevated 
position  it  looked  like  a  silver  thread  winding  its  way 
through  bright  green  pastures  until  it  lost  itself  in 
the  distant  windings  among  the  foot-hills  of  Mount 
Diablo,  which  are  kissed  by  the  ever  restless  waves  of 
San  Pablo  Bay.  In  this  instance  Campbell  is  wrong. 
"Distance"  does  not  "lend  enchantment  to  the  view," 
for  as  we  approached  Sacramento  the  scene  became  more 
lovely  still.  Broad,  spreading  vineyards,  well-cultivated 
gardens,  orchards  loaded  with  fruit,  long  and  shady 
avenues,  and  palatial  residences  were  constantly  passing 
before  us  in  this  beautiful  panorama.  All  on  board 
seemed  not  only  happy,  but  jubilant. 

We  arrived  at  Sacramento,  the  capital  of  California, 
and,  after  twenty  minutes  for  lunch,  were  off  again  on 
the  southern  route  for  San  Francisco.  This  route  gave 
us  an  excellent  view  of  California's  capitol.  and  as  I 
viewed  that  massive  pile,  with  its  ample  and  lofty  dome 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  423 

I  could  say  with  honest  pride  that,  after  a  travel  of  over 
eight  thousand  miles,  it  was  the  finest  public  structure  I 
had  seen,  the  national  capitol  alone  excepted.  Passing 
through  the  city  of  Stockton,  and  other  towns,  we  ar 
rived  in  San  Francisco  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening. 


CHAPTER    LII. 

MY    CALIFORNIA   HOME. 

"  Breathes  there  a  man  with  soul  so  dead 
Who  never  to  himself  has  said, 

This  is  my  own,  my  native  land  ! 
Whose  heart  has  ne'er  within  him  burned, 
As  home  his  footsteps  he  has  turned 
From  wandering  on  a  foreign  strand  !  " 

HAVING  led  my  California  friends  through  a  long 
journey  over  several  States,  and  through  the  prin 
cipal  cities  of  the  Union,  I  will  now,  as  a  closing  scene, 
devote  a  short  chapter  to  a  description  of  my  California 
home  and  its  surroundings,  for  the  benefit  of  my  East 
ern  friends,  to  whom  I  hope  it  may  not  be  entirely  un 
interesting.  The  last  chapter  closed  with  my  arrival  at 
San  Francisco.  That  city  I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe. 
Though  but  twenty-five  years  old,  it  is  the  Hercules  of 
the  pac'fic.  In  1849  it  was  Yerba  Buena.  The  pueblo 
of  Yerba  Buena  contained  the  Mission  Dolores  and  lit 
tle  mo'e.  Now,  in  1874,  it  is  the  great  mart  of  the 
Pacific,  and  boasts  a  population  of  two  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants.  It  would  take  a  respectable  volume  instead 
of  a  single  chapter  to  describe  that  flourishing  city  and 
its  surroundings. 


424  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

At  San  Francisco  I  met  my  family,  and,  after  remain 
ing  a  short  time  to  enable  them  to  finish  up  their  visit, 
one  bright  day  in  June  we  took  passage  in  the  steamer 
Antelope  and  crossed  the  bay  en  route  for  Healdsburg^ 
There  was  not  a  breeze  to  ruffle  the  placid  waters,  and 
we  steamed  along  past  Red  Rock  and  the  Two  Brothers, 
and  in  about  two  hours  and  a  half  arrived  at  Donahue, 
where  we  took  the  cars  for  Healdsburg.  On  landing  at 
Donahue  I  was  once  more  in  old  Sonoma  County,  with 
familiar  scenes  surrounding  me.  About  twelve  miles 
north  and  east  lay  the  city  of  Sonoma,  one  of  the  oldest 
towns  in  California;  in  fact,  it  was  a  place  of  some  im 
portance  when  San  Francisco  was  the  Yerba  Buena  of 
Mexico,  with  little  else  than  drifting  sand-hills  and  an 
occasional  rocky  cliff.  At  the  time  of  the  conquest  of 
California,  during  the  Mexican  War,  Sonoma  was  a  point 
of  considerable  importance  to  the  Americans,  and  it 
was  at  this  place  that  the  famous  Bear  Flag  was  hoisted. 

A  ride  of  sixteen  miles  from  Petaluma,  through  a  very 
pleasant  valley,  brings  us  to  Santa  Rosa.  This  fine  little 
city  is  situated  near  the  center  of  the  lovely  valley  of 
that  name.  The  surrounding  country  is  generally  fertile, 
producing  wheat,  barley,  oats,  and  all  the  family  of  root 
vegetables  in  great  abundance,  but  it  is  most  remarkable 
for  its  immense  yields  of  hay.  .The  valley  lying  between 
Santa  Rosa  and  Petaluma  is  very  rich  in  soil,  but  rather 
low,  and  it  has  received  but  little  at  the  hands  of  art  to 
•develop  or  to  beautify  its  natural  resources.  The  valley 
was,  unfortunately,  a  Mexican  grant,  and  has  never  been 
divided  up  into  farms,  but  the  whole  constitutes  an  im 
mense  stock  ranch.  Santa  Rosa  is  the  county  seat  of 
Sonoma  County,  and  for  the  last  two  years  has  made  a 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  425 

rapid  growth.  It  boasts  a  city  government  and  is  in  a 
flourishing  condition.  It  is  sustained  by  its  colleges  and 
the  agricultural  pursuits  of  the  neighborhood. 

Fifteen  miles  in  a  northeasterly  direction  lies  the  town 
of  Healdsburg,  my  home.  Healdsburg  is  situated  on 
the  bank  of  Russian  River,  between  that  stream  and 
Dry  Creek.  The  land  upon  which  the  town  is  built  is 
dry  and  gravelly,  with  the  Russian  River  Valley  on  the 
east  and  the  famous  Dry  Creek  Valley  west  and  north 
of  the  city.  The  town  is  also  about  two  miles  above  the 
confluence  of  the  two  streams.  No  more  lovely  spot 
was  ever  selected  for  a  town  site.  The  soil  in  the  valleys 
surrounding  Healdsburg  is  probably  the  finest  in  the 
world,  the  banks  of  the  Nile  not  excepted.  And  the 
best  feature  in  the  case  is  the  fact  that  artificial  fertiliza 
tion  is  not  needed,  as  nature  has  provided  a  fertilizer  in 
the  flood  that  visits  us  in  our  winter  season.  Sometimes 
it  is  much  greater  than  it  is  at  others,  owing  to  the  canon 
some  twelve  miles  below  Healdsburg,  which  in  a  very 
heavy  flood  backs  the  water  over  our  valleys  to  a  depth 
of  from  three  to  four  feet.  There  is  then  but  little  cur 
rent  and  the  rich  vegetable  deposits  washed  from  the 
surrounding  hills  are  allowed  to  settle  on  the  surface 
of  the  ground.  These  floods  run  off  very  soon  and 
never  overflow  the  land  more  than  from  twenty-four  to 
thirty-six  hours,  and,  though  the  grain  crops  may  be 
sowed,  and  all  green,  they  are  not  injured,  but  frequently 
improved  by  their  inundation. 

Sonoma  County  is  the  garden  of  California,  and  Rus-. 
sian  River  and  Dry  Creek  Valleys  are  the  garden  spots 
of  Sonoma  County.  One  remarkable  feature  is  that 
since  the  county's  earliest  settlement  we-have  never  lost 


426  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

a  crop.  Where  we  have  sown  we  have  always  reaped  a 
rich  harvest,  and  in  some  instances  we  have  harvested 
from  sixty-five  to  seventy  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre, 
while  the  crops  of  Indian  corn  compare  favorably  with 
those  raised  on  the  American  bottoms.  Adjoining  our 
valleys  on  the  west  is  a  fine  forest  of  redwood,  firs,  and 
other  valuable  timber,  which  affords  an  abundant  supply 
for  fuel,  fencing,  lumber,  and  alt  other  purposes.  The 
water  here  is  peculiarly  good.  It  is  pure,  cold,  and  soft. 
There  are  gushing  springs  flowing  from  almost  every 
hill,  and  throughout  the  valleys,  water  of  the  same 
quality  may  be  obtained  at  the  depth  of  from  twelve  to 
twenty  feet.  For  washing  purposes  it  is  equally  as  good 
and  pure  as  rain-water;  hence  no  cisterns  or  saving  of 
rain-water  are  ever  indulged  in  here.  Flowing  from  our 
hills  and  mountains  are  numerous  spring  brooks,  full  of 
speckled  trout,  where  the  angler  finds  fine  sport,  while  in 
our  mountains,  bear  of  several  varieties,  deer,  grouse* 
squirrels,  and  quail  abound. 

Healdsburg  is  within  seventeen  miles  of  the  great 
Geyser  Springs,  over  one  of  the  finest  mountain  roads  in 
the  world.  The  view  of  the  valley  and  streams  below 
from  this  road  beggars  all  description.  Skaggs  Springs 
are  situated  fourteen  miles  up  one  of  the  loveliest  drives 
in  the  world.  Lytton's  Soda  and  Seltzer  Springs  are 
distant  three  miles  from  here.  A  large  hotel  is  being 
built  at  these  springs,  and  next  year  it  will  be  opened  to 
the  public.  This  will  at  once  become  one  of  the  most 
popular  watering  places  in  the  State.  Sulphur  Flat 
Sulphur  Spring  is  within  two  miles,  Fitch  Mountain 
Sulphur  Spring  within  one  mile  and  a  half,  and  many 
others  of  less  note  are  within  a  short  distance  of  this 
place. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  427 

Our  climate  cannot  be  surpassed  in  the  world.  We 
have  some  hot  days  during  the  summer,  but  they  are 
very  few  and  easily  endured  when  we  take  into  consider 
ation  the  fact  that  such  a  thing  as  a  hot  night  is  unknown 
with  us.  We  can  always  sleep  under  a  couple  of  blan 
kets  during  the  warmest  summer  nights;  and  we  are 
never  troubled  with  mosquitoes  or  gnats.  The  fogs  and 
cold  winds  from  the  ocean  hive  but  little  effect  here,  as 
the  winds  in  crossing  the  Coast  Range  for  about  forty 
miles  become  so  modified  and  softened  as  to  be  only 
cool  and  pleasant.  During  my  long  residence  in  this 
town,  I  have  never  known  a  case  of  chills  and  fever,  or 
fever  and  ague,  or  any  other  malarious  disease,  unless 
brought  here  from  some  other  part,  and  then  it  would 
soon  disappear. 

Our  scenery  is  the  admiration  of  all  visitors.  It  is,  in 
fact,  one  extensive  valley  from  the  bay  to  and  far  be 
yond  Healdsburg.  As  the  town  is  approached  it  seems 
an  amphitheater  surrounded  in  the  background  by  lofty 
hills  and  mountains.  At  the  east,  just  raising  its 
high  head  and  prominent  nose  above  Fitch  Mountain, 
may  be  seen  Mount  St.  Helena,  some  fifteen  miles  dis 
tant.  To  the  northeast  is  Pine  Mountain,  crowned  with 
a  dense  forest,  while  north  is  Sulphur  Peak,  raising  its 
bald  head  high  above  the  surrounding  hills.  Fitch 
Mountain,  within  a  mile  of  the  city,  is  a  prominent 
landmark  by  which  we  can  for  many  miles  around  locate 
the  exact  position  of  Healdsburg.  At  the  west  the  hills 
gradually  rise  until,  far  in  the  distance,  between  us  and 
the  ocean,  they  assume  the  magnitude  of  mountains  and 
present  to  the  eye  one  of  the  loveliest  pictures  imagina 
ble.  The  first  belt  of  hills,  ranging  from  three  to  four 


428  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


miles  distant,  is  studded  with  lofty  fir  and  redwood  trees, 
stationed  on  the  summit  equidistant  from  each  other, 
looking  like  so  many  giant  sentinels  on  those  lofty  watch- 
towers  of  nature  to  guard  the  valley  below;  and  when 
the  departing  sun  casts  its  golden  light  upon  the  elevated 
crests,  throwing  the  lengthening  shadows  down  the  vale, 
no  more  lovely  sight  ever  met  human  gaze. 


CHAPTER    LIII. 

RETURN    TO    BUSINESS — MORE   THRILLING   INCIDENTS. 

ON  my  return  from  the  East,  I  once  more  settled 
down  to  my  profession.  As  to  my  family  relations, 
on  the  first  day  of  September,  1865,  I  had  married  Miss 
Minnie  Molloy,  daughter  of  Dr.  E.  B.  Molloy,  and  she 
proved  a  most  kind  and  affectionate  wife,  wholly  domestic 
in  her  nature,  and,  thanks  to  her  parents,  had  been  the 
recipient  of  a  first-class  education.  Her  affections  were 
of  that  warm  and  engaging  nature  that  she  looked  upon 
the  happiness  of  her  husband  and  children  as  her  only 
aim  in  life.  She  bore  three  children,  the  eldest  a  girl. 
However,  I  held  her  but  for  the  short  space  of  six  years, 
and  her  death  left  me  with  an  infant  boy  eight  months 
old.  In  the  early  months  of  our  marriage  an  accident 
happened  to  me,  which  I  will  here  record. 

I  was  engaged  on  part  of  the  plaintiff  in  the  case  of 
Bennet  vs.  Bennet,  for  divorce,  having  made  an  applica 
tion  for  the  custody  of  the  children.  The  case  was  tried 
in  Mendocino  County,  and  it  was  necessary  for  four  of 
us,  the  plaintiff,  her  two  witnesses,  and  myself  to  go 
from  Healdsburg  to  Ukiah,  and  that  necessitated  a  two- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  429 

seated  conveyance.  On  application  at  the  livery  stable 
I  was  informed  that  I  could  either  have  a  thorough- 
brace  or  a  light  two-seated  carnage.  I  told  them  that 
I  would  take  the  carriage,  but  I  wanted  a  true,  steady 
team,  as  there  was  no  brake  on  the  carriage.  Well,  we 
went  to  Ukiah,  made  our  showing,  and  got  an  order  of 
court  for  the  children,  and  were  jubilant  over  our  success. 
As  we  were  returning  over  the  old  toll-road  on  the  west 
side  of  Russian'  River,  the  high  hills  on  our  right  and  a 
perpendicular  precipice  of  thirty  feet  on  the  left,  and  a 
roa  !-bed  of  about  fifteen  feet,  winding  up  the  mountain, 
on  turning  a  bend,  we  suddenly  met  a  team.  The  bank 
side  was  ours  by  right  of  way,  but  the  other  parties 
took  it,  throwing  us  on  the  side  next  the  precipice. 
They  halted  to  let  me  pass  (I  was  driving),  but  as  I 
attempted  to  drive  on  I  discovered  the  limb  of  an  oak 
tree  projecting  over  the  road,  that  came  so  far  out  as  to 
fence  me  off,  so  that  I  could  not  swing  in  behind  them. 
Coming  to  a  halt,  I  told  them  to  drive  ahead;  but  before 
they  could  understand  what  I  wanted,  my  horses  com 
menced  backing,  and  the  wagon  pulled  on  them,  inclin 
ing  to  run  down  the  grade.  I  readily  comprehended 
the  situation  and  urged  my  horses  to  advance,  striking 
them  with  the  whip;  but  the  more  I  urged  them,  the 
faster  they  backed.  At  this  place  there  was  a  bend  in 
the  bank,  forming  a  horseshoe,  the  toe  running  to  the 
precipice.  I  saw  that  we  were  destined  to  go  over  the 
precipice  back  foremost.  As  the  grade  got  steeper 
in  our  downward  descent,  I  whirled  *my  horses,  facing 
the  precipice,  and  noticed  a  jack-oak  growing  below  the 
precipice,  whose  branching,  feathery  top  came  up  even 
with  the  top  of  the  bank.  It  was  now  so  steep  that  the 


430  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

horses  could  not  hold  the  wagon,  and  I  plunged  them 
into  the  top  of  the  tree  ^which  was  about  eight  inches 
in  diameter  at  the  butt),  and  down  we  went,  head  fore 
most — horses,  carriage,  tree  and  all.  The  tree  bent 
down  v\  ith  the  weight,  but  as  soon  as  the  horses,  car 
riage,  and  passengers  struck  the  bed  of  the  creek  below, 
the  three  passengers  pitched  out,  and  t:  e  horses  being 
on  the  ground,  the  tree,  thus  released,  sprung  back, 
throwing  the  carriage  clear  and  pitching  me. some  fifteen 
feet,  head  foremost,  among  the  rocks.  The  next  thing 
I  knew  the  parties  from  the  other  wagon  had  hold  of 
me,  attempting  to  carry  me  out.  I  gained  my  feet,  and, 
with  their  assistance,  climbed  to  the  road,  where  they 
got  me  into  their  wagon  and  drove  me,  with  the  rest,  to 
MacDonald's  Hotel,  on  the  road,  I  believe  about  two 
miles.  MacDonald  got  a  mattress  and  spread  it  on  a 
sidewalk  running  along  the  front  of  the  hotel,  where  it 
was  cool,  and  I  was  laid  on  it. 

I  had  been  there  but  a  few  minutes  when  I  heard 
some  one  say  that  Rennet,  the  defendant  in  our  case, 
had  run  off  with  the  children,  and  it  was  supposed  that 
he  was  taking  them  to  Oregon.  When  1  heard  this  I 
asked  MacDonald  if  he  had  any  brandy.  He  answered 
in  the  affirmative,  when  I  asked  for  a  glass.  After  drink 
ing  it,  I  dictated  dispatches  to  Chief  Burke,  of  San 
Francisco,  and  to  the  Sacramento  police,  and  ail  was  a 
blank  for  some  time.  The  next  thing  that  I  realized 
was  that  Dr.  Pike  was  present  (the  local  physician). 
Word  was  sent  to  Healdsburg  for  Dr.  O.  S.  Alien,  my 
family  physician,  and  Dr.  Molloy,  my  father-in-law. 
On  the  way  down  the  man  reported  the  accident  in 
Cloverdale,  and  Dr.  Weaver,  from  the  State  of  Nevada, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  431 

a  former  partner  of  Dr.  Allen,  happened  to  be  there; 
he  said,  "  If  one  of  Allen's  patients  is  hurt,  I  must  go 
and  see  him."  The  resident  physician  of  Cloverdale 
hitched  up  his  team,  and  they  came  up,  and  two  hours 
later  Drs.  Allen  and  Molloy  arrived,  making  five  doctors 
in  all.  (Some  will  say  that  was  enough  to  kill  any  man.) 
They  went  to  work  in  good  earnest,  gave  me  a  thor 
ough  examination,  found  that  two  ribs  had  been  stove 
in  near  the  backbone,  that  the  point  of  the  left  shoulder 
was  broken,  that  my  head  was  badly  cut  in  several 
places  and  full  of  gravel-stones,  and  that  the  nervous 
system  was  badly  shaken.  My  neck  and  all  around  the 
top  of  my  shoulders  assumed  an  inky  blackness,  but  I 
had  become  entirely  conscious.  Night  was  coming  on, 
and  they  were  desirous  of  getting  me  into  the  house. 
They  attempted  to  move  me  on  the  mattress,  and  carry 
me  in,  but  the  instant  they  commenced  raising  me  on 
the  mattress  the  breath  would  leave  me.  and  I  would 
faint,  the  pain  was  so  excruciating.  They  had  to  leave 
me  where  I  was,  and  I  was  compelled  to  remain  there 
with  an  awning  over  me  for  three  days,  when  I  called 
MacDonald  to  me  and  asked  him  if  he  had  any  wide 
boards  about  the  place,  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  jnches 
wide.  He  said  that  he  had,  when  I  asked  him  to  cut  off 
a  piece  seven  feet  long  and  bring  it  there.  Some 
thought  I  was  losing  my  mind,  but  he  complied  with 
my  request.  •'  Now,"  said  I,  "  nail  a  bracket  on  one  end, 
four  inches  high."  He  again  complied.  "  Now,"  said  I 
to  Dr.  Allen,  "carefully  shove  that  board  under  my 
mattress,  and  let  the  bracket  come  up  to  my  feet."  This 
was  done.  "  Now,"  I  continued,  "go  to  my  head  and 
raise  the  board."  I  found  that  my  plan  was  a  success; 


432  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

that  lying  on  the  stiff  board  I  could  be  moved  without 
any  rack  or  pain.  I  lay  at  MacDonald's-a  week,  when 
I  was  moved,  with  the  aid  of  my  board,  to  my  home  in 
Healdsburg,  where  I  lay  for  nearly  three  months. 

The  doctors  unanimously  agreed  that  I  would  never 
get  entirely  over  the  injuries,  but  would  be  able  to  get 
around,  and  might  survive  for  several  years.  But  they 
were  mistaken,  as  I  have  had  occasion  to  try  my  man 
hood  several  times  since,  and  could  not  see  that  I  had 
lost  much  of  my  former  elasticity. 

Subsequent  to  the  foregoing  event,  there  was  a  des 
perate  attempt  made  upon  my  life;  I  was  seated  in  a 
chair,  when  the  would-be  assassin  drew  a  cocked  revolver, 
clapped  it  to  my  ear  and  fired.  I  saw  the  pressure 
of  his  fingers  upon  the  trigger  of  the  revolver,  and  throw 
ing  my  head  back  and  my  hand  up,  the  bullet  crashed 
diagonally  through  the  hand.  I  sprang  to  my  feet  and 
with  my  other  hand  reached  for  my  revolver;  but  it  was 
in  the  scabbard,  buttoned  down.  My  assailant  had  a 
long  navy  revolver,  and  continued  his  fire  at  close  range, 
the  muzzle  of  his  pistol  never  four  feet  from  me  during 
the  fire.  He  continued  to  fire  in  the  most  excited  man 
ner  until  he  had  emptied  his  weapon,  when  I  had  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  my  revolver  with  my  one  hand.  He 
then  started  to  run,  when  I  hastily  fired  as  he  was  about 
to  escape  through  a  door.  I  fired  a  little  too  quick,  and 
just  barked  his  neck  with  my  bullet.  I  then  sprang 
forward  and  drew  a  bead  on  his  back  as  he  was  running; 
but  from  some  cause  the  hammer  of  my  revolver  came 
down  between  the  tubes.  I  cocked  again,  and  would 
have  got  him  before  he  escaped  from  the  building,  had 
it  not  been  that  a  pretended  friend  sprang  forward  and 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  433 

between  us,  exclaiming,  "  Here,  Cap.,  take  my  pistol." 
I  subsequently  learned  that  he  too  was  in  the  plot  to  kill 
me.  He  merely  took  that  position  to  save  his  companion 
in  guilt.  My  assailant  had  attempted  to  get  up  a  row 
with  me  in  the  morning,  on  some  trivial  matter,  and  on 
walking  from  me  said  significantly,  "  I  will  see  you 
again."  These  words  put  me  so  far  on  my  guard  as  to 
buckle  on  my  revolver.  I  was  afterwards  told  that  the 
squatters  had  agreed  that,  if  he  would  kill  me,  he  should 
have  five  hundred  dollars.  Well,  I  followed  him  up,  he 
running  and  I  pursuing,  until  I  got  two  more  shots,  but 
at  long  range,  when  I  became  so  weak  from  loss  of  blood 
that  I  could  not  follow  further.  He  escaped  from  the 
country,  and  was  absent  for  something  over  a  year. 

This  last  occurrence  left  me  in  rather  a  bad  situation, 
having  comparatively  lost  the  use  of  my  right  hand  by 
a  saber  cut  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  now  my  left  shat 
tered  by  an  assassin's  bullet,  left  me  crippled  in  both 
hands.  And  this  combination  of  circumstances  has 
clearly  demonstrated  to  me  that  the  old  adage,  "  Truth 
is  stranger  than  fiction,"  has  been  verified.  But  this  was 
no  secret;  the  whole  town  of  Healdsburg  well  knew  of 
the  affair,  which  occurred  in  the  very  place  where  this 
is  written;  and  there  were  over  twenty  persons  in  the 
room  when  the  would-be  murderer  commenced  shooting. 
I  lay  for  three  months  with  my  hand-wound,  and  some 
portion  of  the  time  in  a  critical  condition;  but  at  last  it 
healed,  and  I  again  continued  my  .practice. 

About  a  year  after  the  death  of  my  wife,  I  found  it 
necessary  to  again  marry,  as  raising  a  family  of  small 
children  alone  was  anything  but  pleasant.  Hence,  on 
the  I4th  of  January,  1872,  I  married  the  daughter  of 


434  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

J.  E.  Turner,  of  Sacramento,  who  has  proved  an  excel 
lent  mother  to  my  children,  which  is  the  kindest  thing 
that  can  be  said  of  a  step-mother.  We  have  lived 
together  for  fifteen  years,  and  hope  to  live  together 
many  more. 

CHAPTER    LIV. 

POLITICAL. 

AS  I  have, .in  this  volume,  made  no  reference  to  my 
political  creed,  and  as  such  a  work  would  be  incom 
plete  without  some  allusion  to  that  feature  of  my  career, 
I  here  reproduce  a  short  letter  which  has  heretofore 
been  published.  This  letter  will  not  only  explain  itself, 
but  will  suffice  to  indicate  my  political  predilections  in 
a  general  way. 

HEALDSBURG,  CAL.,  June  27,  1868. 

HON.  JOHN  BUSH,  Placerville,  Cal. — Dear  Sir:  When 
last  in  Placerville  I  promised  to  give  you  a  letter  ex 
plaining  what  you  saw  fit  to  denominate  my  "  unreason 
able  course,  politically,"  and  in  so  doing  I  shall  endeavor 
to  be  as  brief  as  possible,  and  after  a  perusal  of  the 
statement  of  facts  you  will  please  inform  me  who  has 
changed  ? 

To  begin:  As  an  American  I  am  proud  of  my  country, 
and  love  its  many  glorious  institutions;  and  hope  that 
my  highest  ambition  always  shall  be,  as  it  always  has 
been,  to  add  to  rather  than  diminish  her  honor  and  glory. 

At  the  Presidential  election  in  1860,  as  a  Democrat, 
I  supported  that  party. '  At  the  Charleston  convention 
a  portion  split  off  from  the  party  and  organized  what 
was  known  as  the  Baltimore  convention.  The  Charles- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  435 


ton  convention  nominated  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  who 
was  a  national  man  and  a  patriot ;  the  Baltimore  con 
vention  nominated  a  sectional  ticket,  and  the  Republi 
cans  did  the  same,  and,  as  a  national  Democrat,  I  sup 
ported  the  regular  nominee  of  the  Democratic  party. 
You  know  the  result.  Rebellion  ensued,  and  I  was  found 
sustaining  my  country's  flag — justifying  any  course  that 
was  found  most  expedient  to  crush  treason  and  restore 
peace  to  the  country.  Of  such  a  struggle  as  we  passed 
through,  the  annals  of  history  give  no  parallel  ;  but  like 
all  other  earthly  things,  it  came  to  a  close.  During  its 
existence  the  friends  of  the  States  in  rebellion,  as  well 
as  the  rebels  in  arms,  constantly  proclaimed  that  they 
were  "out  of  the  Union,"  and  all  that  they  wanted  was 
"to  be  let  alone;"  while  on  the  other  hand,  Union  men 
held  that  the  rebellious  States  were  not  out  of  the  Union, 
neither  could  they  get  out — that  the  federal  compact 
could  not  be  dissolved.  This  doctrine  was  advocated 
alike  by  the  chief  magistrate,  Congress,  statesmen, 
judges,  clergy,  and  down  to  the  soldier  in  arms.  The 
murdered  Lincoln,  through  Secretary  Seward,  in  reply 
to  the  French  Emperor,  when  the  French  proposed 
intervention,  used  this  language:  "  No  intervention  is  nec 
essary  ;  a  portion  of  the  States  of  this  Union  is  in  a  state 
of  rebellion  against  the  legally  constituted  Government, 
and  all  that  is  necessary  to  a  peace  is  for  them  to  lay 
down  their  arms  and  return  their  delegations  to  Con 
gress,  when  this  war  will  cease  of  itself." 

On  the  8th  of  November,  1863,  President  Lincoln  is 
sued  his  proclamation,  offering  to  send  any  seceded  State 
a  provisional  governor  when  that  State  would  make  the 
request  known  by  one-tenth  of  the  votes,  taking  the 


436  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

vote  of  1 86 1  as  a  basis.  This  Congress  tacitly  or  posi 
tively  recognized — continuing  from  time  to  time  to 
ratify  the  acts  of  Lincoln — and  while  this  proclamation 
was  in  full  force,  and  supported  by  the  4th  Article  of 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  on  an  applica 
tion  of  North  Carolina,  she  having  complied  with  the 
requisitions  of  the  proclamation,  Wm.  Holden  was 
appointed  provisional  governor  of  that  State.  W.  L. 
Sharky  was  appointed  provisional  governor  of  Missis 
sippi;  June  1 7th,  James  Johnson  was  appointed  gov 
ernor  of  Georgia;  June  i/th,  Andrew  J.  Hamilton 
was  appointed  governor  of  Texas;  June  2ist,  Lewis  E. 
Parsons  was  appointed  for  Alabama;  June  3Oth,  Benj. 
F.  Perry  was  appointed  for  South  Carolina;  and  July 
1 3th  of  the  same  year,  Wm.  Marvin  was  appointed  provis 
ional  governor  of  Florida.  In  all  those  States  there 
was  a  thorough  organization,  in  every  instance  compli 
ance  with  the  letter  of  the  proclamation  by  declaring 
void  the  ordinance  of  secession,  repudiating  the  Confed 
erate  debt,  and  adopting  the  constitutional  amendment 
declaring  slavery  and  involuntary  servitude  forever  abol 
ished,  unless  for  crimes  of  which  the  party  shall  have 
been  duly  convicted.  This  mode  of  reconstruction  was 
offered  and  accepted,  and  acted  upon  in  good  faith. 

The  South  at  this  time  was  disarmed  and  powerless, 
while  the  conquerors  possessed  all  the  vast  armament 
of  the  great  American  nation ;  hence  no  fear  of  treachery 
could  reasonably  be  suspected,,  and  hence  the  country 
had  a  right  to  rejoice  in  the  happy  termination  of  the 
fratricidal  war,  and  a  restoration  of  peace  d.nd  tranquillity 
to  our  bleeding  nation.  Under  this  new  organization 
the  representatives  of  these  reconstructed  State  gov- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  437 

crnments  were  sent  to  Congress,  but  failed  to  gain 
admittance  to  seats  in  that  body.  The  first  excuse  was 
"disloyalty;"  soon,  however,  that  was  wiped  out  by  the 
election  of  men  who  bore  the  scars  of  many  a  well-con 
tested  field  against  the  rebels,  but  to  the  surprise  of  all 
fair-thinking  men  they,  too,  were  rejected;  and  when 
our  Congress  was  pressed  for  a  reason,  they  proclaimed 
that  these  States,  formerly  in  rebellion,  were  all  out  of 
the  Union,  and  consequently  not  entitled  to  representa 
tion.  Thus  they  gave  the  lie  to  our  former  declarations 
"that  the  South  was  not  out  of  the  Union,  and  could 
not  get  out,"  thereby  stultifying  themselves,  and  asking 
every  Union  man  to  turn  a  political  somersault.  At 
this  juncture,  people  less  cool  than  Americans  would 
have  hurled  such  men  from  the  high  positions  which 
they  were  daily  disgracing,  when  a  still  worse  state  of 
anarchy  would  have  ensued. 

But,  thank  God,  the  people  still  forbore,  and  the 
horrid  impositions  of  that  body  calling  itself  a  Congress 
of  the  United  States  have  continued.  They  have  reck 
lessly  trampled  the  constitution  under  their  feet  at  every 
turn.  They  have  sent  the  bayonet  in  times  of  peace 
into  the  Southern  States — overturned  State  governments 
in  violation  of  the  constitution  (and  these  the  govern 
ments  they  themselves  had  once  recognized  by  the  votes 
on  the  amendment  to  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  and  the  only  means  by  which  that  amendment 
carried),  and  have,  for  political  purposes  alone,  disfran 
chised  a  large  portion  of  the  white,  law-abiding  voters,  and 
enfranchised  an  ignorant,  savage  and  lawless  herd  of 
blacks.  By  the  aid  of  the  Freedmen's  Bureau  they  have 
placed  thousands  of  emissaries  in  these  ill-fated  States  to 


438  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


encourage  the  blacks  in  the  most  diabolicaldeeds  of  rapine 
and  murder.  This  same  Congress,  to  aid  them  without 
resistance  to  carry  out  their  fraudulent  arid  damnable 
designs,  has  attempted  to  cripple  and  control  by  uncon 
stitutional  acts  and  threats  the  co-ordinate  departments 
of  Government.  They  have  threatened  to  impeach  the 
Supreme  Court  for  daring  to  act  in  its  judicial  capacity 
in  declaring  unconstitutional  some  of  their  measures. 
They  attempted  to  impeach  the  President  for  no  other 
offense  than  a  firm  opposition  to  their  reckless  and  law 
less  course, — for  being  firm  in  his  defense  of  constitu 
tional  government.  They  have  legislated  upon  the 
local  matters  of  sovereign  States,  in  d  rect  violation  of 
the  constitution.  So  reckless  are  they  of  former  usages 
and  the  constitution  adopted  by  our  fathers,  that  they 
have  absolutely  attempted  to  abolish  the  office  of  Presi 
dent.  In  a  word,  they  have  in  the  most  enlarged  sense 
proved  themselves  traitors  to  our  present  institutions, 
and  enemies  to  a  republican  form  of  government. 

Now,  my  dear  friend,  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to 
admit  that  I  denounced  Jefferson  Davis  and  his  horde  as 
rebels,  and  \\ished  them  punished  as  traitors  for  rebell 
ing  against  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  though  this 
rebellion  was  conducted  by  open  enemies  and  brave  men; 
then  why  should  you  think  it  inconsistent  that  I  should 
oppose  rebels  and  traitors  to  the  institutions  of  our 
fathers,  wh  >  have  not  manhood  enough  to  decide  their 
fate  by  the  wager  of  battle,  but  who  are  fast  accom 
plishing  by  fraud  and  evil  legislation,  what  the  former 
rebels  failed  to  do  by  force  of  arms. 

I  can  readily  understand  why  you  think  me  inconsistent; 
it  is  owing  to  your  standpoint,  and  the  reflection  of  a 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  439 

local  glass.  But  when  you  change  your  position,  and 
climb  to  the  dome  of  the  Temple  of  Freedom,  take 
your  stand  between  the  goddess  of  liberty  and  justice, 
and  then  look  through  the  national  telescope  of  truth 
by  the  light  of  reason,  aided  by  the  reflection  of  the 
constitution,  I  believe  you  will  not  only  discern  that  you 
are  the  one  that  is  unreasonable,  but  will  break  your  local 
glass  and  hasten  to  join  me  in  preserving  our  country 
against  a  reign  of  tyranny  and  misrule,  and  that  we  may 
be  permitted  for  many  years  to  present  our  offerings 
together  on  the  altar  of  constitutional  liberty,  with  no 
broken  fragments,  but  the  whole  United  States  of 
America.  Till  then,  I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Your  sincere  friend,  and  obedient  servant, 

L.  A.  NORTON. 


CHAPTER     LV. 

COMPLIMENTARY. 

PHILADELPHIA,  Pa.,  1200  Locust  Street,  July  26,  1880. 

L.  A.  NORTON,  ESQ. — Dear  Sir:  Your  favor  of  the  26th  ult.  is  duly 
received.  I  regret  that  among  our  losses  by  fire  were  your  letters  and 
many  others.  I  very  well  remember  our  meeting  at  Vera  Cruz,  and  our 
first  meeting  at  the  hacienda  of  Santa  Anna  at  En  Cerro.  Your  conduct 
at  that  time  and  your  subsequent  actions  met  my  entire  approval.  And 
if  I  were  going  to  the  battle-field  to-morrow  I  would  be  glad  to  have  the 
Illinois  volunteers  under  me,  and  you  as  commanding  officer. 

I  am,  dear  sir,  with  great  respect,  sincerely  yours, 

R.  PATTERSON. 

THE  above  brief  letter  would  be  incomplete  without 
some  explanation.     Our    command,  several    thou 
sand  strong,  was  encamped  on  the  bank  of  a  lovely  little 
stream  which  takes  its  rise  in   the  Orizaba  Mountains, 
rushing  from  the  mountains  in  ^  tumbling  and  tumult- 


440  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

uous  torrent,  then  flowing  placidly  through  the  valley  for 
several  miles,  when  it  comes  to  an  abrupt  depression  in 
the  valley  and  takes  a  perpendicular  leap  of  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  feet.  Our  camp  was  some  two  or  three 
miles  above  this  fall.  We  were  a  portion  of  General 
Patterson's  division,  and  his  head-quarters  were  at  Santa 
Anna's  hacienda,  about  a  mile  from  our  camp.  The 
imagination  cannot  picture  a  more  lovely  place.  We 
were  waiting  for  the  rest  of  the  command  to  come  up, 
of  which  Colonel  Winecoop,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  in 
charge.  Our  extra  stock  was  placed  about  twelve  miles 
down  the  river,  on  a  rich  bottom,  for  grazing,  with  a 
small  detachment  (I  believe  about  seventy-five  in 
number)  to  guard  them.  It  being  well  known  that  the 
treaty  of  peace  had  been  signed  and  ratified,  it  was 
thought  there  was  little  or  no  danger  from  the  Mexicans. 
Now  it  so  happened  that  we  needed  some  commissary 
supplies,  much  of  which  had  to  be  procured  from  the 
country  through  which  we  passed,  and  in  many  instances 
by  forced  purchase.  That  is,  we  would  take  what  we 
wanted  and  leave  the  owners  a  fair  compensation  in 
coin.  I  had  detailed  a  force  of  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men  and  quite  a  wagon  train,  to  go  down  the  river 
in  quest  of  rations.  I  had  proceeded  about  eight  miles, 
having  left  the  direct  line  of  the  river  and  main  valley, 
and  was  some  two  miles  east  of  it,  among  some  low, 
rolling  hills  and  small  valleys,  when  my  advance 
reported  horsemen  and  lancers  in  our  front.  My  force 
were  all  mounted  men.  I  halted  immediately  and  sent 
out  a  small  scouting  party,  under  cover  of  a  brushy 
hill.  As  the  enemy  evidently  had  not  yet  discovered 
us,  we  had  but  little  difficulty  in  getting  their  course. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  441 

They  were  traveling  at  right  angles  to  us,  down  a  narrow 
valley,  and  directly  towards  our  stock  encampment. 

My  scouts  reported  the  party  to  be  a  battalion  of 
lancers,  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred 
strong.  Their  object  was  quite  evident  to  me,  and  if  I 
was  to  save  our  men  and  stock  I  must  act  promptly. 
I  left  ten  men  to  guard  the  wagons  and  put  the  rest  of 
the  command  in  rapid  motion,  keeping  behind  the  low 
hills;  and  when  we  broke  upon  the  Mexicans  over  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  we  were  not  five  hundred  feet  from 
them.  We  charged  for  the  center,  dashed  through,  and, 
wheeling  to  the  right  and  left,  rolled  their  two  flanks  up 
like  a  scroll.  They  stood  the  shock  for  a  moment,  and 
ordered  their  fire  with  more  coolness  than  I  had  expected; 
but  they  could  not  stand  our  carbine  and  holster  fire, 
and  broke  and  scattered  in  all  directions.  They  left 
twenty-three  upon  the  ground,  seven  dead  and  sixteen 
badly  wounded — seven  fatally.  We  had  three. killed 
and  seven  wounded,  most  of  them  slightly,  and  I  lost 
my  favorite  horse.  After  the  fight  I  ordered  up  the 
wagons,  we  loaded  our  dead  and  wounded,  and  the 
wounded  Mexicans,  into  them,  returned  to  camp,  and 
reported  to  Colonel  Collins  (who  was  no  friend  of  mine). 

The  affair  caused  a  great  commotion  in  camp.  Colonel 
Collins  ordered  me  under  arrest  for  acts  of  war  in  time 
of  peace,  and  I  demanded  to  be  taken  before  the  com 
manding-general  (Patterson).  On  inquiry,  among  the 
wounded  Mexicans  was  found  a  lieutenant,  who  ac 
knowledged  that  they  had  arranged  to  attack  the  camp 
and  capture  the  stock.  After  a  full  hearing,  the  general 
dismissed  the  charge,  highly  complimented  me,  and  said 
he  wished  they  had  more  like  me.  And  this  is  what 
29 


442  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

the  old  general  meant  when  he  said  in  the  foregoing 
letter,  "  Your  conduct  at  that  time  and  your  subsequent 
actions  met  my  entire  approval." 


CHAPTER    LVI. 

A  SEA  VOYAGE  TO  SANTA  BARBARA. 

IN  a  previous  chapter  I  have  incidentally  referred  to  a 
homeward  trip  from   Los  Angeles,  through  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley,  by  rail.     In  this  I    will  give    a    short 
sketch  of  my  journey  thither,  down  the  coast. 

I  left  Alameda,  November  25,  1883,  and  took  passage 
on  the  steamer  Ancon,  which  sailed  at  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  with  a  sharp  wind  from  the  northwest.  Con 
trary  to  our  expectations,  as  we  passed  through  the 
Golden  Gate  the  water  was  without  a  ripple,  but  when 
fairly  at  sea,  the  wind  being  N.  N.  W.,  the  vessel  was 
thrown  into  the  trough  of  a  long  and  heavy  swell.  Ere 
long  I  saw  the  most  vivacious  and  happy  faces  blanch, 
while  a  general  movement  on  deck  led  me  to  conclude 
that  all  the  passengers  excepting  myself  had  near  and 
dear  acquaintances  on  board;  for  I  saw  ladies  and  gen 
tlemen  rushing  into  each  other's  arms.  Still  I  noticed 
that  the  embraces  bestowed  had  nothing  of  tenderness 
or  affection,  since  they  generally  fled  from  the  embrace 
of  the  first  to  the  next  they  met.  I  noticed,  too,  that 
youth  and  age  embraced  each  other  alike  as  lovers, 
while  I  remained  a  melancholy  spectator  of  the  scene, 
burning  tears  fast  running  down  my  face  because  no 
one  addressed  me.  On  reflection,  I  was  consoled  by 
the  discovery  that  I  was  on  the  windward  side;  hence 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  443 

no  one  could  conveniently  rush  to  my  arms,  and  those 
burning  tears  were  caused  by  the  spray  that  struck 
the  side  of  the  ship,  giving  me  a  liberal  contribution. 
My  first  thought  was  to  avoid  this  contribution  by 
passing  to  the  lee;  but  I  soon  discovered  that  on  that 
side  there  was  great  business  activity;  men,  women,  and 
children  were  "casting  up  their  accounts."  While  all 
seemed  anxious  for  a  settlement,  they  did  not  seem  to 
succeed,  as  I  saw  them  return  to  their  state-rooms,  singly 
and  in  pairs,  with  infinite  disgust  depicted  on  their  coun 
tenances.  It  was  remarkable  that  their  efforts  seemed  to 
destroy  their  appetite  for  dinner,  the  representatives  at  ta 
ble  being  few  in  number.  The  captain,  a  young  and  good- 
looking  fellow,  seeming  very  wise  and  independent,  sat 
at  the  head  of  the  table,  with  his  roast  beef,  carving- 
knife  and  fork,  the  dispenser  of  culinary  blessing,  but, 
withal,  somewhat  disconsolate,  since  all  his  "  pullets  " 
had  "gone  to  roost,"  and  only  us  poor  devils,  who  were 
"  placed  before  the  mast,"  to  serve.  Of  course  I  pitied 
him,  and  I  would  not  have  waited  for  a  second  invitation 
to  take  a  seat  next  to  him;  but,  unfortunately  for  him,  I 
did  not  get  a  first. 

The  night  was  rough,  but  the  morning  was  smooth 
and -fair.  The  wind  and  waves  had  subsided  and  as 
general  settlements  seemed  to  have  been  obtained,  all 
went  "  merry  as  a  marriage  bell."  Of  course  we  kept 
near  the  coast,  which  was  rough  and  generally  precip 
itous,  while  the  valleys  along  the  coast  lay  "back  of  a 
bluff  range,  with  small  outlets  to  the  shore.  I  found  my 
notions  of  the  bay  and  town  of  Monterey  far  from  cor 
rect.  The  bay  makes  a  deep,  horseshoe-like  inderita- 
tion  into  the  land.  The  town,  instead  of  being  at  the 


444  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

toe  of  the  shoe,  is  at  the  heel;  and,  to  take  the  coast 
going  down,  it  is  three  times  as  far  by  land  as  it  is  to 
sail  across  by  water,  from  one  heel  of  the  shoe  to  the 
other. 

From  San  Francisco  to  point  Concepcion,  our  course 
is  nearly  south;  at  that  point  we  turn  directly  east,  and 
on  that  course  we  reach  Santa  Barbara,  at  which  place 
we  found  ourselves  on  the  second  day  out  at  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  Before  speaking  of  this  place,  I  must 
refer  to  a  very  strange  phenomenon  which  occurred  at 
sunset,  before  our  arrival.  As  thousands  have  hereto 
fore  written  of  the  lovely  sunsets  at  sea,  the  subject 
having  been  handled  by  wit,  genius,  and  ability,  in  colors 
more  than  the  sun  itself  ever  presented,  I  shall  not,  at 
this  late  day,  enter  the  arena  and  compete  for  the  prize. 
And  though  it  is  of  a  sunset  at  sea  that  I  speak,  it  is 
not  the  bare  sight  of  seeing  it  lave  its  brilliant  disk  in 
the  briny  wave. 

I  heard  an  exclamation  from  one  of  the  passengers: 
41  Oh  !  Icok  at  the  sun."  I  turned  my  eyes  to  the  west, 
where  a  huge,  bright  golden  block  presented  itself.  It 
was  perfectly  square,  and  seemed  to  be  about  three  feet 
across,  and  not  more  than  ten  minutes  above  the  water. 
As  I  was  watching  and  marveling  at  the  strange  appear 
ance  of  the  scene,  the  base  of  the  perpendicular  seemed 
stationary,  while  the  upper  portion  commenced  sinking 
until  it  presented  the  appearance  of  a  large  cheese,  with 
the  edge  towards  us.  The  lower  portion  or  base  then 
began  to  sink,  while  the  upper  portion  appeared  station 
ary  till  it  formed  the  most  perfect  picture  of  a  mam 
moth  wash-bowl,  with  its  broad  top  and  graceful  curving 
in  and  usual  swell  of  the  bowl,  while  there  was  the  usual 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  445 

• 

and  perfect  flange  around  the  bottom  of  the  bowl, 
which  seemed  to  sit  upon  the  water.  It  now  commenced 
elongating  until  it  set  in  a  long  and  fiery  glow  upon  the 
water.  But  this  was  not  the  last  of  it;  for  as  the  dark 
ness  gathered  in  the  east,  and  in  that  direction  all  was 
somber  night,  a  soft  pink  tinge  illuminated  the  western 
sky,  casting  a  soft,  delicate  light  upon  the  shimmering 
ripple  of  the  ocean,  which  changed  and  flashed  as  if 
beneath  the  rays  of  a  noonday  sun.  In  fact,  the  west 
was  so  lit  up  that  you  could  look  in  that  direction  until 
the  sea  and  sky  united  in  the  distance.  The  phenome 
non  of  the  western  light  continued  after  our  arrival  at 
Santa  Barbara,  throwing  a  lovely  light  purple  glow 
over  the  mountains  surrounding  the  town. 

As  before  stated,  the  coast  at  Santa  Barbara  runs 
nearly  east  and  west.  The  town  is  situated  upon  a 
channel  which  separates  the  mainland  from  the  four 
islands  that  lie  immediately  north  of  the  place  some 
twenty  miles  distant.  These  islands  seem  to  form 
almost  a  continuous  belt,  running  nearly  parallel  with 
the  mainland,  thus  breaking,  in  a  great  degree,  the  fury 
of  southern  storms.  The  town  spreads  out  over  the 
mouth  of  the  valley,  where  it  reaches  the  ocean,  extend 
ing  up  the  valley  about  two  miles.  I  should  think  the 
ground  rises,  from  the  ocean  to  the  upper  end  of  the 
town,  about  one  hundred  feet.  The  town  is  a  good  deal 
scattered,  covering  an  area  usually  occupied  by  a  city 
of  10,000  inhabitants,  while  it  had  at  that  time  less  than 
5,000.  What  is  peculiar  is  that  the  valley  is  not  sit 
uated  on  any  stream  emptying  into  the  ocean,  and  the 
town  is  watered  from  Mission  Canon,  the  only  water 
upon  which  the  inhabitants  rely  for  fire  or  domestic  uses; 


446  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

but  the  supply  seems  plentiful.  With  the  gradual  rise 
from  and  slope  to  the  ocean,  and  bathed  by  the  first 
rays  of  the  rising  sun  as  he  comes  forth  from  his  watery 
bed,  and  in  close  proximity,  are  the  sloping  foot-hills, 
with  their  grazing  herds;  and  then,  abruptly  rising,  is  the 
rough  and  rugged  Coast  Range,  giving  a  great  variety 
of  scenery.  Here  the  millionaire  may  smoke  his  cigar 
on  the  veranda  of  the  Arlington  and  drink  in  with 
pleasure  the  grand  and  varying  prospect,  while  the  poor 
invalid,  who  can  illy  spare  the  means  to  try  the  experi 
ment  of  life  or  death,  can  first  turn  his  eyes  upon  the 
ocean  and  cast-  forth  his  anchor  of  hope;  or,  if  despair 
seizes  upon  him,  he  can  from  his  chamber  turn  his  eyes 
toward  the  old  cathedral,  with  its  Moorish  towers,  which 
seem  to  invite  him  to  a  comfortable  last  resting-place. 

Yes,  Santa  Barbara  is  a  pretty  place;  but  she  is  a 
parasite,  not  living  upon  any  innate  resources  of  her 
own,  but  upon  foreign  substance.  It  will  ever  be  the 
stopping-place  of  the  invalid  and  the  temporary  home 
of  the  pleasure-seeker,  while  the  denizens  of  the  town 
will  take  good  care  that  sojourners  pay  for  all  they  get. 
But,  on  the  whole,  I  think  that  in  case  one  wants  a  holi 
day,  there  is  no  lovelier  place  to  take  it  than  in  Santa 
Barbara.  As  to  the  inhabitants,  they  are  about  one- 
third  native  Californians,  wholly  strangers  to  energy  or 
progress,  still  living  as  their  fathers  lived  sixty  years 
ago.  The  Arlington  Hotel  is  the  finest  and,  in  my 
opinion,  the  best  kept  of  any  on  the  coast. 

The  valley  in  which  Santa  Barbara  is  situated  is  small, 
not  more  than  eighteen  miles  long,  with  an  average 
breadth  of  from  two  to  two  and  one-fourth  miles.  I  drove 
out  to  the  place  of  my  old  friend  Sherman  Stowe,  tak- 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  447 

ing  lunch  with  him;  then  to  Colonel  Hollister's,  and 
then  through  the  Cooper  Ranch,  thus  taking  in  the  entire 
length  of  the  valley.  Stowe,  Hollister,  Cooper,  and 
Moore  own  the  principal  portion  of  the  valley,  and  they 
all  have  lovely  places,  mostly  fruit  farms.  Mr.  Cooper's 
place  is  the  most  extensive.  I  believe  he  has  15,000 
almond,  15,000  walnut,  and  5,000  olive  trees  in  full  bear 
ing,  all  protected  by  gum-tree  wind-breaks.  It  is  said 
that  he  makes  the  finest  and  purest  olive  oil  in  the  world, 
and  he  puts  it  all  in  labeled  bottles  to  avoid  imposition. 
This  is  really  a  fruit  valley.  They  can  raise  small  grain 
and  corn,  in  a  word,  all  cereals;  but  the  fruit  interest 
largely  predominates,  and  the  great  misfortune  of  the 
valley  is  that  the  land  holdings  are  entirely  too  large  for 
the  area  of  country  capable  of  culture. 

I  remained  in  Santa  Barbara  four  days,  leaving  on 
December  1st  for  Santa  Monica,  and  thence  by  rail  to 
Los  Angeles,  returning  home  by  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railroad  route. 


POEMS. 


BY    COLONEL    L.    A.    NORTON. 


TO   MISS   MINNIE  MOLLOY,  SANTA   ROSA. 

1AM  thinking  of  thee,  dear  Minnie, 
I  am  thinking  of  thee  now, 
While  thou  art  gently  sleeping, 

With  a  calm  and  cloudless  brow; 
For  'tis  noon  of  night,  dear  Minnie, 
.  And  the  fleecy  clouds  do  fly, 
Shown  by  the  moon's  uncertain  light, 

Like  some  giant  of  the  sky, 
With  just  enough  of  borrowed  light 

Sweetly  resting  on  the  plain, 
To  change  each  shadow  to  a  sprite 

To  people  this  earth  again. 
Among  these  sylphs  I  seem  to  see 

Little  Minnie,  bright  and  fair, 
With  her  large  and  lustrous  eyes, 

And  her  light-brown  braids  of  hair. 
Full  well  I  know  'tis  fancy  all, 

Yet  is  it  not  sweet  to  feel 
That  fancy  can  somewhat  supply 

What  we  so  much  wish  was  real  ? 
So  sleep,  dear  Minnie,  gently  sleep, 

With  no  shade  upon  thy  brow. 
There  is  one  sentinel  on  his  beat 

Who  is  thinking  of  thee  now. 


450  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

TO  MY  WIFE. 

I  AM  thinking  of  thee,  dear  Emma, 

Alone  thinking  of  thee; 
While  you  in  your  home  are  waiting, 

And  are  watching  for  me. 

You  will  claim  it  was  a  weakness, 
That  I  should  never  know; 

But,  my  dear,  it  is  a  weakness 
I  am  proud  to  have  you  show. 

You  are  never  demonstrative, 
Or  at  least  so  you  would  seem, 

But  all  through  your  seeming  coldness, 
I  see  affections  gleam. 

So  now,  down  life's  path  together, 
We  hand  in  hand  will  roam, 

Until  time  and  age  shall  call  us 
To  dark  oblivion's  home. 

But  until  we  rest  together, 
We'll  make  the  best  of  life, 

Though  I  make  a  rough  old  husband, 
You  are  a  loving  wife. 


TO    MARY. 

MARY,  I  am  now  alone; 
The  midnight  hour  has  long  since  flown, 
Yet  visions  haunt  my  sleepless  mind, 
In  search  of  what  I  cannot  find. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  451 

Oh,  vain  the  search;  the  efforts  vain; 

The  prize  I  seek,  I  cannot  gain; 

For  that  I've  sacrificed  my  rest, 

And  climbed  the  rugged  mountain's  breast. 

I've  stemmed  the  stream  where  torrents  roll, 
A  terror  to  the  bravest  soul; 
Panuca's  course  I've  traced  alone, 
Where  cities  were  long  since  o'ergrown 

With  a  dense  growth  of  chaparral, 
Without  a  tongue  their  fate  to  tell; 
Where  panthers  crouch  and  tigers  growl ; 
Where  leopards  hide  and  lions  howl; 

Tarantulas,  whose  fatal  sting 
On  man  and  beast  destruction  bring — 
I've  faced  death  in  a  thousand  forms, 
Mid  battle's  glare  and  frightful  storms. 

I've  floated  on  the  ocean's  wave 
When  every  surge  my  breast  would  lave; 
From  stranded  ship  I've  sought  the  land 
Where  earthquakes  shook  the  very  sand. 

rom  battle-field  I  bear  the  scars 
Those  dealt  me  by  the  sons  of  Mars, 
And  all  for  what  ?     Why  did  I  roam  ? 
To  trace -each  clime,  why  leave  my  home? 

For  happiness!  but  ah;  to  me 
How  transient  must  that  name  e'er  be; 
While  hopeless  here  I  journey  on, 
I  feel,  I  know,  I  am  alone. 


452  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Who  see  me  smile  can  never  know 
The  yet  unfathomed  depths  of  woe, 
The  anguish  of  this  bitter  strife 
That  rends  my  soul  and  poisons  life. 

For  happier  lots  that  have  been  cast, 
They  cannot  feel  the  withering  blast 
That  breaks  my  heart,  that  kills  my  frame, 
And  makes  me  loathe  my  very  name! 

But  would  to  God  my  heart  were  steel, 
To  oppose  the  bitter  pangs  I  feel, 
And  check  the  sigh  that  e'en  would  start 
The  very  cords  that  bind  my  heart. 

To  one  on  earth  the  power  is  given 
To  make  this  hell  eternal  heaven; 
If  she  would  now  but  smile  on  me, 
And  bid  me  henceforth  happy  be! 


RESPECTFULLY    ADDRESSED   TO   ONE   OF    THE    AMERI 
CAN    OFFICERS   IN    MEXICO. 

"THIS  Northern  girl,  I  fear  her  not, 
Though  brave  and  fair  thou  art; 
My  shadow  stands  as  sentinel 
To  rny  loved  captain's  heart. 

"That  guarded  palace  mncks  thy  siege, 

Its  gates  thou  canst  not  win; 
Go  sighing  round  his  home  at  night, 
But  dare  not  enter  in  ! 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  453 

"He  told  me  you  were  beautiful, 

But  I  am  well  content; 
My  form  alone  has  charms  for  him, — 
He  swore  it  when  he  went. 

"Let  welcome,  in  its  softest  tones, 

Its  dearest  secret  tell, 
Such  welcome  e'en  cannot  efface 
The  sound  of  my  farewell." 

Thus  spoke  Amelia,  sitting  lone 

On  Mexico's  wild  shore; 
The  foaming  waves  of  that  wide  gulf 

Her  dark  eye  traveled  o'er. 

She  spoke  it  with  a  steadfast  trust— 

Oh  !  trust  that  vain  must  prove; 
She  spoke  it  with  the  curling  lip 

Of  proud,  triumphant  love. 

Poor  girl !  at  that  same  sunset  hour, 

In  the  distant  Northern  land, 
The  captain  knelt  and  pressed  his  lips 

On  a  white,  bejeweled  hand, 

Then  clasped  the  lady  in  his  arms — 

His  vows  of  yore  forgot; 
His  heart  withdrew  itself  from  hers, 

But  Amelia  knew  it  not. 


454  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


TO   MY   TRUEST  AND    BEST   FRIEND. 

How  sweet  it  is  for  us  to  know 

That  there  are  hearts  that  burn 
With  love  for  us,  where'er  we  go, 

And  sigh  for  our  return. 
Then,  though  the  world  is  cold  and  drear, 

And  gives  the  bosom  pain, 
We've  but  to  turn  to  scenes  more  dear, 

And  all  is  bright  again. 

But  sad  must  be  the  home  of  those 

Condemned  to  live  alone, 
With  none  to  cheer  amid  life's  woes, 

And  none  to  call  their  own. 
No  season  sweet  of  joy  doth  come 

To  shed  its  fragrance  there; 
No  sunshine  to  disperse  the  gloom 

That  broods  a  dark  despair: 

The  heart  can  ne'er  be  truly  blest 

Unless  it  can  recline 
On  some  congenial,  faithful  breast, 

Where  love's  sweet  tendrils  twine. 
Then  we  can  brook  life's  many  ills, 

Its  sorrow  and  its  woe, 
For  love  its  soothing  balm  distils 

To  cheer  us  while  below. 


TO  A.  C.  BARRY,  ESQ. 

ADIEU,  dearest  friend!     I  must  bid  you  adieu. 
I  cannot,  I  will  not,  ask  you  longer  to  stay. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  455 

Remember  there's  one  friend  that  ever  is  true, 
And  his  heart  is  with  you,  wherever  you  stray. 

With  steps  fast  receding,  when  thy  native  shore, 

Like  some  longed-for  haven,  shall  burst  on  thy  view, 

When  thy  heart  it  shall  throb  like  the  cataract's  roar, 
To  again  greet  thy  friends  that  are  constant  and  true, 

Where  beauty  will  smile  and  where  maidens  will  love, 
Where  a  fond  mother  will  greet  her  wandering  boy, 

Where  sounds  that  are  soft  as  the  coo-cooing  dove 
Will  start  tears  of  regret  that  will  dampen  the  joy, 

Thy  heart  will  then  heave  for  a  friend  that's  not  there> 
With  a  pang  that  no  vulgar  affection  can  feel  ; 

A  friend  that  thy  weal  or  thy  woe  would  fain  share, 
And  a  friend  that  loves  thee  with  woman-like  zeal. 

Though  barren  and  cold  is  the  world  without  thee, 
I  can  ask  thee,  in  justice,  no  longer  to  stay. 

But  with  thee,  my  friend,  my  heart  ever  shall  be, 
To  blend  with  thy  visions  by  night  or  by  day. 

May  blessings  of  Deity  rest  on  thy  head, 

To  shield  thee  from  sickness,harm,  death,  and  the  grave. 
May  Heaven  combine  to  strengthen  life's  thread, 

To  shield  thee,  dear  friend,  from  the  merciless  wave. 


BLACK   EYES. 


SOME  worship  a  brow  that  is  ever  serene, 

Like  the  lifeless  sky  of  a  painted  scene, 

Where  the  sunshine  sleeps  and  the  clouds  are  still, 

Just  as  calmly  as  gushes  the  mountain  rill. 


456  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

There  are  hearts  that  can  worship  the  soft,  pale  dye, 

And  passionless  hue  of  a  tame,  blue  eye; 

But  such  eyes  to  me  are  too  patient,  too  true; 

I  love  not  their  sleepy,  inanimate  hue. 

But  give  me  the  glance  with  the  soul  in  its  rays, 

An  eye  that  can  flash,  and  a  brow  that  can  blaze. 

For  one,  my  dear  girl,  is  the  still,  smooth  lake, 

That  no  winds  can  ruffle  and  no  storms  can  shake; 

The  other,  the  foam  of  the  cataract's  dash, 

The  darker  the  water,  the  brighter  the  flash. 


TO   THE   ONE   FOR   WHOM   IT   WAS    INTENDED. 

SOME  are  charmed  with  the  view  and  passionate  hue 

Of  a  dark  and  rolling  eye, 
But  mine  is  the  charm,  without  fear  or  alarm, 

Where  all  is  calm  as  a  summer  sky. 

As  deep  as  the  sea,  let  that  eye  be  to  me, 

Then  I  know  the  affection  is  true; 
I  can  read  in  that  face,  displeasure  or  grace, 

When  lit  up  by  an  eye  of  blue. 

If  you  wish  to  disclose  your  sorrows  or  woes 

To  friends  that  are  constant  and  true, 
Take  the  clear  open  brow,  requesting  no  vow, 

That's  lit  up  with  an  eye  of  blue.  ' 

And  if  sympathy's  tear  should  ever  appear, 
You'll  then  take  my  statement  as  true; 

Nines  times  out  of  ten,  be  it  ladies  or  men, 
'Twill  be  found  in  an  eye  of  blue. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  457 

Yet  'tis  not  the  eye  that  can  whimper  or  cry, 

When  danger  approaches  in  view, 
But  as  firm  as  the  arch,  sustaining  time's  march, 

The  eye  of  unfaltering  blue. 

An  eye  that  is  blue,  a  heart  that  is  true, 
Shall  hence  be  the  drift  of  my  dream; 

And  a  lady  most  fair  with  lightish  brown  hair, 
In  song  shall  henceforth  be  my  theme. 


LINES   TO   MRS.    ELIZABETH   HALE. 

THIS  rose  to  me  is  passing  fair, 
Fresh  from  the  donor's  hand; 

Its  fragrance  .floats  as  rich  and  rare 
As  any  in  the  land. 

Upon  the  plain,  the  rose  we  hail, 
The  daisies  on  the  mount, 

We  pluck  the  lily  from  the  vale, 
The  cresses  from  the  fount. 

The  glory  of  the  morning  fair, 
First  hails  us  when  we  wake, 

We're  greeted  by  the  violets  rare, 
As  morning  walks  we  take. 

And  thus  we  find  our  path  is  spread 
With  sweetness  and  perfume, 

And  odors  of  the  flowerets  shed 
Throughout  the  month  of  June. 

30 


458  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

But  when  they  fade,  the  withered  stalk 

Is  shaken  by  each  blast, 
Each  time  enfeebled  by  the  shock,, 

In  winter  sinks  at  last. 

An  emblem  this  of  man's  sad  fate, 

A  floweret  here  below; 
In  spring  he  blooms  with  joy  elate, 

And  sinks  in  winter's  snow. 

The  rose  that  blooms  upon  his  cheek 

Will  wither  and  decay, 
When  the  fond  pleasures  that  we  seek 

By  magic  fade  away. 

It  bends  the  stalk  in  silent  gloom, 
All  withered  by  the  blast, 

And,  like  the  flower,  cut  down  at  noon, 
At  evening's  shade  'tis  passed. 

Unlike  the  rose,  there's  some  below 
When  earthly  beauties  fade, 

Sweeter  perfumes  around  them  throw, 
Approaching  evening  shade. 

And  when  the  stalk  is  bleak  and  bare, 

Shook  by  winter  of  age, 
A  bright  halo  will  hover  there, 

That  mocks  to  us  the  sage. 

The  word,  with  magic  in  its  charms, 
That  bids  the  soul  aspire, 

Snatches  a  brand  from  nature's  arms, 
To  light  the  poet's  fire, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  459 

MIDNIGHT   AND   THE    GRAVE. 

THE  lover's  lute  is  hushed  and  still, 
The  moon  has  sought  the  western  hill, 
The  breeze  now  holds  its  balmy  breath, 
All  silent  as  the  cells  of  death. 
The  nightingale,  whose  ceaseless  note 
Would  seem  to  rend  his  tiny  throat, 
Now  for  a  moment's  hushed  and  still; 
You  scarce  can  hear  the  murmuring  rill. 
The  dewdrop  on  the  violet's  brow 
Would  seem  devoutly  waiting  now, 
As  if  its  fall  upon  the  ground 
Might  break  the  silence  thus  profound; 
Where  midnight,  with  dark  pinions  spread 
Her  gloom  o'er  living  and  o'er  dead — 
A  gloom  that  all  erelong  must  feel, 
Humanity's  eternal  seal; 
Where  innocence  in  silence  sleeps, 
Where  guilt  no  more  its  vigils  keeps, 
Where  toil  and  strife  will  be  at  rest, 
Where  peace  will  calm  the  troubled  breast, 
And  where  the  high  and  low  shall  be 
Forever  on  equality. 

There  glitt'ring  wealth  and  boasted  fame 
Shall,  cank'ring,  lose  their  worthless  name, 
By  mouldering  time  beneath  the  sod, 
And  all  true  merit  go  to  God. 


On  my  return  from  Mexico  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
our  command  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Alton, 
Illinois;  but  I  was  compelled  to  remain  there  a  few  days 


460  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

to  settle  up  some  commissary  and  quartermaster  claims. 
One  day  I  was  riding  out  with  some  ladies,  when  Miss 
Jane  Young  Harrison  threw  a  rose  of  Sharon  at  me.  I 
picked  up  the  flower  and  jestingly  said,"  "  I  will  return 
this  at  the  end  of  ten  years,"  at  the  same  time  deposit 
ing  the  rose  in  my  bosom,  and  thinking  no  more  of  it 
at  the  time;  but  when  retiring  at  night,  on  divesting  my 
self  of  my  vest,  the  rose  dropped  to  the  floor.  I  picked 
it  up  and  threw  it  between  the  leaves  of  one  of  my 
quartermaster  account  books,  again  forgetting  all  about 
it  for  seven  months,  when  one  day,  in  turning  over 
the  book,  I  discovered  the  flower  pressed  between  the 
leaves.  I  then  concluded  to  keep  my  promise,  and  in 
closed  one  little  petal  with  the  following  lines: — 

One  single  leaf  I  send  to  thee, 

Of  what  in  jest  you  threw  at  me. 

But  when  ten  years  have  passed  and  flown, 

I'll  then  return  to  thee  thy  own. 

My  life  for  the  ensuing  ten  years  was  adventurous  and 
somewhat  roving;  but  I  retained  the  flower,  and  the 
expiration  of  the  time  found  me  in  California,  whence  I 
returned  it  with  the  following  lines: — 

Here  is  thy  flower,  though  rudely  pressed 
Tis  as  I  clasped  it  to  my  breast. 
And,  like  some  sentinel  at  his  post, 
For  ten  long  years  I've  guarded  close 
This  little  talisman  of  thine, 
That  I  would  fain  have  claimed  as  mine, 
But  would  not  Vantage  by  my  wrongs — 
To  thee  and  thine  the  pledge  belongs; 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  461 

And  when  I  raised  it  from  the  dust, 
I  only  held  the  flow'r  in  trust. 

But  oh  !  how  faded  is  the  flower, 
Compared  with  what  it  was  that  hour 
When  I  received  it  at  thy  hand, 
And  bore  it  to  this  distant  land. 
Yet  not  more  faded  than  the  one 
That  bore  it  from  its  native  home; 
For  each  the  burning  deserts  passed, 
And  each  has  felt  the  mountain's  blast; 
Together  bound  and  ever  one, 
We  both  have  felt  a  tropic  sun; 
Together  we  have  sallied  forth 
To  frozen  regions  of  the  North; 
Together  in  the  forest  wild, 
Where  civil  life  had  never  smiled, 
We've  rested  from  our  toil  and  care — 
Our  sentinel  the  grizzly  bear. 

Thus,  guarding  it  as  my  own  life, 
I've  borne  it  through  this  world  of  strife 
Until,  at  last,  the  hour  has  come 
To  send  the  little  traveler  home. 
And  when  its  pallid  form  you  view, 
Remember  that  my  words  were  true. 
Although  the  pledge  in  jest  was  given 
Its  place  of  register  was  Heaven. 

And  now  one  boon  I  ask  alone, 
That  this  you'll  guard  as  I  have  done; 
And  when  you  view  its  petals  fair, 
For  its  poor  guardian  breathe  one  prayer. 
This  from  your  friend  and  servant  true. 
So,  lady  fair,  a  long  adieu. 


462  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

THE  SYLPHIDE. 

ALL  hail  to  thee,  sylphide,  fair  queen  of  the  mountain; 

Let  angels  thy  dew-gleaming  footsteps  sustain, 
Whose  impress  a  shadow  ne'er  made  on  the  fountain, 

Whose  footfall  no  imprint  e'er  left  on  the  plain. 

Seraphic  in  form,  and  surpassing  in  beauty, 
Her  sex  are  all  pigmies  in  honor  and  worth, 

So  constant  in  love,  in  affection  and  duty, 

Earth  never  before  to  such  graces  gave  birth. 

But  why  so  dejected,  my  day-star  of  glory  ? 

Oh!  why  art  thou  doomed  thus  to  sigh  when  alone, 
While  pensively  gazing  on  mountain-tops  hoary, 

Or  lulled  to  repose  by  the  rill's  mellow  tone? 

Have  the  hopes  of  thy  youth  all  like  angels  departed 
And  left  thee  to  mourn  the  deep  blight  on  thy  soul? 

Has  fortune  thy  fond  expectations  deserted, 

O'er  which  now  nor  beauty  nor  charms  hold  control? 

Or  by  destiny  doomed  to  still  deeper  dejection, 
By  stern,  unrelenting  fate's  crushing  decree, 

That  places  a  barrier  between  thy  affection 
And  the  one  of  all  others  the  dearest  to  thee? 

If  so,  I  can  sympathize  with  thy  condition, 

Although  my  poor  heart  has  long  since  ceased  to  love; 

To  soothe  the  afflicted  of  earth  is  my  mission— 
A  delegate  sent  from  the  high  court  above. 

So  look  upon  me  as  a  friend  and  a  brother; 

Believe  me  that  such  I  shall  ever  remain. 
In  truth,  you  may  say  we  have  not  the  same  mother, 

Yet  friendship's  kind  impulse  is  warming  each  vein. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  463 

ODE   TO   THE   RT.    REV.   J.    K.    BARRY. 

WAFT,  ye  winds,  some  fitting  strain 
From  mountain  crest,  from  hill  or  plain, 
His  praise  to  sing  who  here  has  come, 
And  left  his  family  and  home, 

And  crossed  the  deep  where  billows  roar, 

Then  sought  the  California  shore. 

Were  it  for  gold  he  crossed  the  main 

I  should  not  write  this  feeble  strain. 

But  how  delightful  'tis  to  feel 
That  one  from  love  and  Christian  zeal 
Should  cross  the  deep  where  billows  roll, 
His  only  gain,  the  immortal  soul. 

Now  in  the  halls  that  long  have  rung 
To  Bacchanalian's  thickened  tongue, 
By  him,  that  sacred  truth  is  taught, 
That  souls  by  Jesus'  blood  were  bought. 

He  labors  hard,  he's  labored  long, 

And  in  the  cause  is  waxing  strong; 

But  where  are.Zion's  sons  to  aid? 

Have  they  not  down  the  cold  stream  strayed  ? 
Has  not  that  filthy  lucre,  gold, 
Made  many  a  Christian  heart  grow  cold  ? 
But  bid  them  listen  to  thy  call, 
And  sound  the  trump  from  Zion's  wall. 

And  when  thy  limbs  enfeebled  grow, 
From  godly  labors  here  below, 
May  peace  and  quiet  close  thy  eyes, 
And  angels  bear  thee  to  the  skies, 


464  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Where  brighter  gold  than  mortals  coin 
Shall  in  thy  crown  of  glory  shine ! 
A  passport,  in  the  halls  above, 
To  the  eternal  throne  of  love. 


MONTEGA'S  ADIEU  TO  THE  FOX. 

ADIEU  to  this  valley — the  sweetest  on  earth. 

Adieu  to  the  ashes  that  first  gave  me  birth, 

Adieu  to  the  Fox,  with  her  green  shaded  shore, 

For  thy  crystal  waves  I  shall  visit  no  more. 

Adieu  to  the  islands  that  dot  thy  bright  strand, 

Adieu  to  thy  scenery  so  varied  and  grand. 

Though  the  white  man  may  dot  the  country  around, 

And  cities  may  rise  on  my  old  hunting-ground, 

Where  the  red  man  sported  in  innocent  glee, 

The  breeze  of  the  morning  ne'er  floated  more  free. 

Their  day-dreams  were  happy,  their  visions  were  bright, 

And  in  their  rude  shelter  their  slumbers  were  light; 

But  where's  now  the  odor  of  wild  rose  perfume, 

That  swept  o'er  the  plain  in  the  bright  month  of  June? 

Now  adieu  to  that  council  hearth  ruined  and  cold, 

Where  burned  the  war-fire  of  the  Fox  chieftain  bold. 

Adieu  to  the  graves  of  our  fathers  who've  fled, — 

We  would  not  recall  them  again  from  the  dead, 

To  witness  the  sorrows  of  those  that  are  left; 

Our  kindred,  our  country,  of  all  we're  bereft. 

Who  pities  the  red  man  ? — his  rights  are  unknown, 

He  wanders  dejected — no  kindred  nor  home. 

The  white  man  knows  naught  of  his  sorrows  nor  pain, 

And  the  son  of  the  forest  scorns  to  complain; 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  465 

For  soon  I  will  pass  o'er  that  river  so  bright, 
That  I  have  surveyed  in  the  visions  of  night, 
Where  pale-faces'  knives  are  no  longer  than  mine. 
To  fight  the  great  battle  all  red  men  combine; 
Montega  will  join  them,  with  quiver  and  bow, 
To  the  land  of  the  spirits  I'm  anxious  to  go. 


LINES. 

OH  !  list,  ye  nymphs  of  grace  divine 

Not  to  an  idle  tale, 
But  list  ye  to  this  lay  of  mine, 

As  borne  thee  on  the  gale. 

I  speak  to  thee  of  beauties  rare, 

Not  faded  yet  by  time, 
And  beauties  that  you  cannot  share, 

Or  I'd  be  claiming  mine. 

Another  claims  that  lovely  cheek, 
Where  richest  crimsons  flow, 

And  eyes  that  kindness  doth  bespeak, 
A  bosom  white  as  snow. 

Of  gentle  mien,  of  graceful  form, 
And  manners  much  refined, 

To  grace  the  fate  for  which  you're  born, 
So,  Mary,  »be  resigned. 

The  day  it  came,  the  die  was  cast, 

Thy  fortune  it  was  made; 
So,  mourn  you  not  for  scenes  now  past, 

Nor  fortune  yet  upbraid. 


466  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

It  was  yourself  that  played  the  game, 
And  sealed  it  with  a  smack, 

And,  as  you  did  not  like  your  name, 
You  changed  it  into  Mack. 

So,  Mary,  now  be  kind  and  true 
Unto  the  choice  you've  made, 

And  when  these  lines  you  come  to  view, 
Just  think  on  what  I've  said. 

Whilst  passing  down  life's  eventide, 
We'll  see  the  heads  of  flax, 

And,  asking  what  we  have  espied, 
You'll  say,  They're  little  Macks. 


ON    SLANDER. 

I'M  seated  by  the  babbling  brook 
To  read  a  page  from  nature's  book, 
And  trace  each  evil  from  its  birth, 
That  can  afflict  this  mortal  earth; 
And  in  their  various  stages  trace 
Which  most  affects  the  human  race. 
First  in  my  catalogue  I'll  bring 
What  mankind  deems  the  greatest  sin- 
He  who  has  slain  his  fellow-man — 
Inhuman  brute!  him  let  us  scan. 
He's  taken  that  which  God  has  given, 
And  robb'd  earth  of  a  gift  from  Heav'n. 
But  one  received  the  fatal  thrust; 
But  one  heart  mingled  with  the  dust. 
This  crime  is  known  as  mat  in  se, 
So  mal  in  factum  let  it  be. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  467 

Next  jealousy,  with  eye  of  green, 
Within  my  catalogue  is  seen; 
It  binds  the  sense,  makes  man  a  slave, 
And  is  more  cruel  than  the  grave. 
A  family  circle  feels  the  sting, 
And  yields  to  that  despotic  king. 

But  last  of  all,  and  worse  I  claim, 

Is  slander.     Oh,  that  cruel  name; 

Its  poisonous  breath  pervades  the  land. 

It  chills  the  heart,  benumbs  the  hand ; 

Its  fatal  fang  and  poisonous  breath 

Are  to  be  dreaded  more  than  death. 

It  will  its  horrid  form  intrude 

'Mid  circles  gay  or  solitude. 

The  maiden's  fame  lost  in  a  day, 

Nor  will  it  spare  the  matron  gray; 

For  which  they  must  a  by-word  lay, 

From  youth  till  resurrection  day. 

The  hand  that  would  donate  most  free 

Is  struck  down  by  this  calumny. 

I  ask  you  one  and  all  to  tell 

Which  crime  is  most  deserving  hell  ? 

LEONATUS. 


LINES   RESPECTFULLY   ADDRESSED   TO 

I  WISH  the  world  to  understand 
My  creed  is  here  laid  down, 

And  they  who  raise  opposing  hand 
Shall  meet  my  lasting  frown. 


468  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

A  friend  that  is  not  my  friend's  friend, 

He  scarcely  can  be  mine, 
And  he  who  would  my  friend  offend, 

Our  friendship  can't  combine. 

Some  wish  to  choose  for  me  my  friends, 

Say  who  are  fit  and  true; 
But  this  will  never  suit  my  ends, 

No;  this  will  never  do. 

Because  I  will  not  sell  a  friend, 

Let  him  be  high  or  low; 
To  whom  I  shall  my  hand  extend, 

I  am  the  one  to  know. 

Perhaps  a  friend  of  worth  to  me 
May  be  of  different  grade, 

By  other  friends  may  seem  to  be 
A  dead  weight  on  me  laid, 

Although  that  friend  may  still  be  true, 
With  heart  as  pure  as  snow  : 

Shall  I  discard  him  to  please  you  ? 
I  proudly  answer,  No. 

But  when  I  see  a  want  of  worth, 

My  confidence  betrayed, 
I  then  rebuke  the  erring  earth, 

Withdraw  all  pledges  made. 

For  if  my  dog  should  chance  to  be 
By  all  my  friends  despised, 

My  dog  my  "only  friend  should  be — 
The  rest  all  sacrificed. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  469 


THE  WILL   OF   LEONATUS. 

I  DIP  my  quill  to  write  my  will, 

As  slander  has  me  slain. 
Let  this  attest  my  last  bequest 

Is  made  with  feeble  frame. 
By  wish  inclined,  and  strong  in  mind, 

My  will  I  thus  have  planned: 
Bequeath  and  give  to  those  that  live 

Within  this  Western  land, 
Good-will  to  all,  both  great  and  small, 

For  this  they  surely  need; 
And  love  I'll  add — they  want  it  bad — 

So  now  let  me  proceed. 
A  patent  plan  I'll  give  to  man 

For  saving  of  his  lungs — 
When  scandal  rolls,  let  honest  souls 

Just  halter-break  their  tongues. 

And  here's  a  sword  that  e'er  will  guard 

All  those  who  choose  to  wield, — 
'Tis  for  the  youth,  its  name  is  Truth. 

To  fend,  you  need  no  shield, 
For  it  will  slay  or  so  dismay 

Each  falsehood,  as  it  flies, 
That  ere  you  know  you've  dealt  a  blow- 

The  foe  before  you  lies. 
A  measure  small  I'll  give  to  all,  • 

A  little  balance  scale, 
Justice  its  name,  from  whence  it  came, 

To  tell  you  I  shall  fail. 


470  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

To  be  sincere,  I  hold  it  dear, 

And  make  a  small  reserve, 
But  feel  inclined  to  ease  my,  mind 

By  giving  who  deserve. 

There's  one  gem  more  I  hold  in  store. 

It  is  so  rich  and  rare 
I  do  intend  to  recommend 

That  ladies  take  a  share. 
You  wait  to  see  what  it  can  be— 

Charity  is  the  name. 
If  each  will  share  the  gem  to  wear, 

You'll  save  each  other's  fame. 
If  this  small  store  is  rightly  wore 

Within  the  human  breast, 
This  bitter  strife  would  lose  its  life, 

And  man  would  find  a  rest. 
In  witness  here  that  I'm  sincere, 

My  name  is  written  thus, 
My  usual  hand  I  still  command, 

L.  A.  LEONATUS. 


WRITTEN  ON  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FITCH  MOUNTAIN  WHILE 
SITTING  ON   AN   ANT-HILU 

LITTLE  ant,  come,  tell  me  why 
Thou  hast  built  thy  home  so  high; 
These  high  cliffs  why  didst  thou  scale 
And  leave  the  warm  and  pleasant  vale? 

Has  the  same  God  that  gave  thce  breath 
Inspired  in  thce  the  thoughts  of  death, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  471 


Like  man,  creation's  lord  while  here, 
And  fitted  for  another  sphere? 

Like  his,  doth  thy  ambition  rise, 
To  endless  life  beyond  the  skies? 
And  is  this  mound,  on  which  I've  trod, 
A  temple  of  the  living  God? 

And  didst  thou  choose  this  mountain  high 
To  bring  thy  worship  near  the  sky? 
And  didst  thou  tread,  as  Moses  trod, 
With  priestly  step,  the  mount  of  God? 

Methinks  1  hear  the  answer,  "  Yes; 
As  creatures  we  could  do  no  less 
Than  offer  from  this  lofty  shrine 
To  our  Creator  praise  divine." 

If  so,  I'll  heed  thy  warm  appeal; 
I  reverence  and  respect  thy  zeal, 
And  peaceful  leave  thy  busy  home 
Wiser  than  ere  I  hence  had  come, 

In  knowing  that  beneath  my  feet 
Worshiping  congregations  meet, 
Serving  with  thought  sublime,  as  we, 
In  their  own  way,  the  Deity. 


A    DKEAM. 

MY  drooping  lids  o'erhung  by  care, 
1  fell  asleep  whilst  in  my  chair. 
I  dreamed  as  man  has  seldom  dreamed, 
Was  omnipresent,  as  it  seemed. 


472  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

And  backward  rolled  the  wheels  of  time 
To  early  Asia's  sunny  clime. 
I  stood  by  Moses,  side  by  side, 
And  saw  the  visions  he  espied. 

In  fancy  then  I  saw  the  stroke 
That  in  his  wrath  the  tablets  broke; 
Though  vexed  was  he,  it  made  me  laugh 
To  see  poor  Aaron's  golden  calf. 

I  stood  upon  the  Red  Sea  coast, 
There  saw  the  tide  sweep  Egypt's  host. 
I  saw  Alexander's  archer  train 
Take  the  rock  Ardes  of  the  plain. 

I  next  saw  the  immortal  birth 
Of  the  Messiah  come  to  earth; 
I  saw  him,  when  a  babe,  indeed, 
He  seemed  the  nurse's  aid  to  need. 

Whilst  in  his  youth  I  passed  that  way, 
Saw  parchments  there  before  him  lay; 
I  saw  China's  Confucius'  name 
Inscribed  upon  the  parchments  plain. 

I  read  in  those  the  source  and  fount 
Of  Christ's  great  sermon  on  the  mount; 
A  doctrine  taught  in  days  of  yore 
By  Chinese  prince  long  years  before. 

I  traced  him  through  this  lower  clay, 
And  watched  each  mesmeric  display; 
I  saw  him  manlike  meet  his  doom, 
And  godlike  rise  from  Joseph's  tomb. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  473 

I  knew  that  I  was  not  deceived; 
Unlike  the  Jews,  I  then  believed. 
I  saw  his  doctrines  then  advance 
From  bloody  Rome  to  skeptic  France. 

With  Bible  doctrine  it  was  hurled 
To  every  nation  of  the  world, 
Where  men  prepar'd  all  to  receive, 
Need  only  hear  it  to  believe. 

Soon  I  beheld  another  scene, 
That  changed  the  aspect  of  my  dream; 
From  Ishmael  there  sprung  a  light 
That  even  pierced  Arabia's  night. 

I  saw  a  caravan  depart, 
Journey 'd  with  it  to  Smyrna's  mart; 
I  saw  one  sit  beneath  a  yew 
That  by  the  way  for  ages  grew. 

But  the  old  tree  had  quite  decayed, 
Refused  to  man  or  beast  its  shade; 
But  when  great  Allah  sat  him  there, 
The  tree  spread  forth  with  foliage  fair. 

The  prophet  then  the  desert  bless'd, 
As  many  Arabs  will  attest, 
And  a  hardened  wretch  was  I 
Not  to  believe  in  great  Allah. 

But  when  I  saw  him  raise  his  brand, 
Defeat  his  foes  by  blowing  sand; 
As  well  as  illustrations  given 
Of  midnight  trips  to  seventh  heaven; 


474  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

And  when  I  saw  the  murderous  snare, 
And  saw  the  holy  prophet  share 
The  poisoned  meat,  that  harmed  him  not, 
Though  others  to  the  grave  it  brought, 

A  convert  to  his  faith  was  I, 
And  shouted  for  the  great  Allah. 
I  saw  him  bend  each  tot'ring  shrine, 
•I  saw  him  march  to  Palestine. 

Against  the  Turks  he  took  the  field, 
I  saw  Constantinople  yield,— 
Where'er  Mahomet  stretched  his  hand, 
The  nations  fell  at  his  command, 

And  scepters  they  were  worthless  then, 
For  all  became  good  Musselmen, 
And  when  his  frame  by  death  was  bound, 
He  could  not  rest  upon  the  ground. 

His  coffin  sought  the  ceiling  high, 
And  would  have  flown  into  the  sky, 
But  no  attraction  called  it  forth 
To  leave  behind  its  native  earth. 

Content  with  man,  his  power  to  show, 
Mahomet  wisely  stayed  below, 
And  left  with  us  his  mighty  shade, 
His  friends  to  soothe  and  doctrines  aid. 

'Twas  then  I  saw  a  star  arise 
Beyond  the  sea  in  western  skies ; 
I  asked  permission  then  to  go 
See  what  that  satellite  would  show. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  475 

The  land  I  saw  was  far  away; 

I  read  its  name — AMERICA— 

And  when  I  reached  the  distant  ground, 

I  heard  a  low,  unearthly  sound. 

In  accents  soft,  but  very  clear, 
It  came  unto  my  startled  ear, 
"The  book  of  Mormon  has  been  found, 
And  excavated  from  the  ground. 

"  Great  Joseph  Smith,  it  is  decreed, 
The  only  man  the  book  shall  read." 
And  Joseph  to  his  task  then  went, 
A  prophet  he,  in  pity  sent. 

Joseph  the  words  of  Mormon  told, 
From  hieroglyphics  wrought  in  gold ; 
But,  oh!  the  wicked  heart  of  man, 
They  scoffed  at  Mormon  and  his  plan. 

Joseph  his  sword,  like  Allah,  drew, 
And  mustered  all  the  Mormon  crew. 
Rushed  forth  to  combat,  sword  in  hand- 
Alas,  they  lacked  Arabia's  sand. 

And  these  brave,  warlike  Mormon  sons 
Were  driven  out  by  Missourians; 
Then  Illinois,  that  bloody  State, 
To  Mormon's  prophet  owed  a  hate. 

And  it  was  in  these  wicked  lands 

That  Joseph  healed  with  righteous  hands, 

Or  so  his  twelve  apostles  said — 

I,  by  their  word,  was  convert  made. 


476  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

But  soon  these  wicked  men  conspired, 
Their  minds  with  indignation  fired, 
When  they  in  secret  laid  their  plan, 
Went  forth  and  slew  this  holy  man. 

By  his  death  groans  I  was  awoke; 
My  very  frame  in  terror  shook ; 
I  thought  upon  the  vision  past; 
I  conn'd  it  o'er  from  first  to'  last. 

I  scann'd  at  length  our  Christian  views, 
I  turned  me  back  to  skeptic  Jews, 
I  traced  Mahomet  from  his  birth, 
Throughout  his  wild  career  on  earth. 

On  Mormon's  book  I  some  time  thought, 
And  viewed  the  changes  it  had  wrought, 
And  asked  myself,  as  well  as  you, 
Which  of  these  creeds,  if  any's  true. 

As  they  will  show  to  men  of  sense, 
Their  proofs  internal  evidence; 
That  all  are  right,  these  proofs  will  show. 
If  all  are  right,  why  differ  so? 


DIALOGUE   BETWEEN    THE   HEAD  AND  HEART,  AS   TO 
WHICH    HAD   THE   STRONGER  CLAIMS 
UPON    THE    SOUL. 

A  STRANGE  dispute  arose  one  day, 
Or  so  I've  heard  old  people  say; 
Between  the  heart  and  head  the  strife, 
The  fount  of  reason  and  of  life, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  477 

As  to  which  had  the  strongest  claim 
Upon  the  soul,  the  heart  or  brain. 
The  heart  now  vindicates  his  cause, 
By  logic  backed,  and  nature's  laws. 

HEART. 

I  claim  the  soul  of  man  is  thought, 
And  that  is  by  pulsation  wrought; 
The  blood  is  oxidized  by  me, 
And  'genders  thought,  as  you  may  see. 
And  in  addition  to  this  plea, 
All  sacred  history  doth  agree; 
That  the  heart  is  good  or  evil, 
Works  for  God,  or  for  the  devil. 

HEAD. 

To  your  first  position  I'll  concede, 
In  acquiescence  to  your  creed, 
That  the  immortal  mind's  the  soul, 
That  governs  and  that  guides  the  whole. 
I  further  grant  what  you  maintain, 
'To  wit,  the  blood  assists  the  brain; 
But  when  you  claim  the  heart  alone 
Doth  set  King  Reason  on  his  throne, 
I  will  take  issue  with  you  there, 
And  try  to  shew  by  reason  fair, 
That  blood  is  but  a  single  spring, 
That  doth  the  brain  to  action  bring; 
And,  by  its  convolutions  wrought, 
The  brain  itself  engenders  thought. 
And  to  maintain  the  grounds  I  take, 
A  small  experiment  I'll  make: 


478  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

Detach  intellect  from  the  brain, 
And  let  the  animal  remain; 
Then  let  the  blood  as  usual  rush, 
With  warm  and  animating  gush, 
Through  all  the  chambers  of  the  brain, 
When  back  it  will  return  again; 
And  when  it  has  its  functions  wrought, 
I  ask,  Will  it  engender  thought? 
Decide  that  point  before  I  go. 
The  answer's  now  resounding,  No  ! 
Then  in  this  argument  you'll  find 
That  blood  cannot  engender  mind. 
Regarding  what  the  Scriptures  state, 
Those  records  of  more  ancient  date, 
And  also  wrote  on  the  best  plan 
That  could  reveal  the  truth  to  man; 
The  heart  being  the  seat  of  life, 
Man  thought  it,  too,  the  seat  of  strife; 
And  that  mankind  might  but  believe, 
Their  teachers  would  not  undeceive; 
But  led  them  on  as  linguists  would, 
By  language  that  they  understood. 

HEART. 

Your  reasons  are  so  wisely  chose, 
I  hardly  know  how  to  oppose; 
And  I'll  admit  what  you  maintain, 
That  the  blood  works  upon  the  brain, 
*    As  farmers  work  the  sterile  soil, 
That  yields  its  fruit  but  with  his  toil; 
And,  as  experiments  you've  brought 
To  prove  that  brain  produces  thought, 


COLONEL  L.  A. 


I'll  offer  one  that  will  suffice 
To  show  where  that  great  lever  lies. 
I'll  stay  the  blood  in  the  left  lung, 
And  let  the  venous  current  run, 
Unoxidized,  upon  the  brain, 
And  there  behold  the  creature's  pain; 
Witness,  yourself,  his  dying  groan, 
And  see  Reason's  deserted  throne  ! 
As  in  this  dying  state  he  lies, 
The  blood  again  I'll  oxidize; 
Now  Reason  to  his  seat  is  brought, 
And  Reason  only  lives  by  thought  ! 

HEAD. 

Indulging  in  such  wanton  strife, 

I'll  own  you  might  destroy  life, 

By  pouring  a  destructive  flood 

Of  grosser  matter  with  the  blood 

Upon  the  unresisting  brain, 

It  must  create  disorder,  pain, 

And  drive  Thought  from  his  dwelling-place, 

To  seek  a  rest  in  open  space. 

But  by  your  power  to  inundate, 

That  will  not  prove  you  can  create; 

For  the  tornado  sweeps  the  plain 

Without  power  to  restore  again. 

When  the  infuriated  blast 

Assails  the  ship  and  springs  the  mast, 

It  sinks  upon  the  Ocean's  breast, 

Its  fury  spent,  and  it  must  rest 

Without  the  power  or  strength  to  aid 

To  destined  port  the  wreck  it  made. 


480  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

But  I'm  not  competent,  I  find, 

To  argue  causes  for  the  mind; 

I'll  own  myself  a  blundering  elf, 

And  leave  the  cause  with  Thought  himself. 

THOUGHT. 

I've  listened  to  your  pleas  at  length, 

Their  ingenuity  and  strength; 

And  I  must  say  I  feel  some  pride 

In  being  called  on  to  decide. 

And  I  shall  thus  decide  the  strife, — 

The  Heart's  the  sire,  the  Head's  the  wife. 

For  me,  'tis  plain  you  both  have  toiled; 

I  own  myself  to  be  your  child; 

And  I  am  much'  inclined  to  see 

You  both  unite  in  harmony. 

But  you're  mistaken  in  your  creed — 

A  point  on  which  you  both  agreed — 

You  grant  me  superhuman  power, 

That  I  can  only  claim  as  dower. 

I  feel  myself  but  mortal  earth, 

And  can't  inherit  by  my  birth. 

I,  by  your  combined  power  was  made, 

And  can't  exist  without  your  aid; 

I'm  not  the  soul,  as  you  have  said, 

Though  to  the  soul,  perchance,  I'm  wed. 

This  seems  to  be  quite  strange  to  you, 

But  'tis  no  stranger  than  'tis  true. 

Pray  do  not  seem  to  be  thus  riled, 

For  parents  oft  mistake  their  child; 

So  let  me  introduce  my  guest, 

Judge  Reason,  for  he  knows  the  best. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  481 

REASON. 

With  Thought  for  many  years  I've  been, 
I'll  say,  e'er  since  the  world  began. 
Her  power  the  earth  will  e'er  control, 
But  still  I  think  she's  not  the  soul. 
The  truth  it  is  quite  plain  to  all, 
Souls  e'er  exist,  or  not  at  all; 
And  if  we  argue  on  that  plan, 
All  brutes  have  souls  as  well  as  man; 
For  where's  the  brute  to  action  wrought, 
Unless  it  is  by  force  of  thought? 
Has  not  the  beast  that  stores  his  grain, 
Some  thought  of  winter's  snow  or  rain  ? 
Does  not  the  bee  that  sips  his  sweet 
Lay  up  in  store  his  winter's  meat? 
If  mind's  the  soul,  the  little  bee 
Has  future  claims  on  Deity. 
But  now  all  ask  me  in  one  breath, 
"  What  is  the  soul  that  lives  in  death, 
That  flies  from  earth  to  hell  or  Heaven, 
To  meet  its  doom  in  justice  given  ?  " 
My  answer  is,  "  'Twill  ne'er  be  known 
Whilst  earth's  encircled  by  a  zone." 


LINES. 

[Written  on  seeing  Capt.  C.  L.  Wight,  of  the  Second  Regiment  of 
Illinois  volunteers,  sleeping  on  the  brick  floor  of  the  Guard  House, 
Tampico,  Mexico,  after  having  spent  the  night  with  him  as  officer  of  the 
day.] 

SLEEP  on,  youthful  hero,  in  quiet  reposing, 
Thy  sleep  it  is  sweet  and  refreshing  to  thee, 

Each  quick  beating  pulse  to  thy  watcher  disclosing 
His  heart  that's  as  buoyant — his  spirit  as  free — 


482  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

As  the  first  morning  zephyr  that  sweeps  o'er  the  main, 
Or  thy  country's  flag  that  is  floating  on  high, 

Or  the  swift  bounding  deer  that  skips  over  the  plain 
That  glides  from  pursuit  when  danger  is  nigh. 

Yes,  calm  thy  repose — that  heart  seems  at  rest, 
With  naught  but  a  damp,  cold  tile  for  thy  pillow; 

But  the  fond  tint  of  hope,  it  has  softly  impressed 
A  glow  on  that  cheek,  pale  though  not  sallow. 

Yes,  he  sleeps,  and  that  in  an  enemy's  land, 
Where  many  a  hero  has  slept  in  his  gore; 

Gallant  young  warrior,  though  born  to  command, 
Thou  soon  mayst  sleep  to  awaken  no  more; 

Where  no  ties  of  affection  nor  angelic  charms 
Shall  hasten  the  brave,  youthful  hero  to  greet; 

No  battle's  loud  roar,  nor  display  of  arms, 

Shall  stay  his  advance,  or  shall  prompt  his  retreat. 

Their  mem'ry  alone  to  his  friends  could  portray 
That  heart  sympathetic,  both  gen'rous  and  great, 

That  by  war  and  disease  had  sunk  to  decay, 

Where  courage  and  manhood  both  yielded  to  fate. 


THE   RIO   GRANDE   SHORE. 

THE  war-cry  is  sounding  once  more  in  our  land, 
Each  brave  heart  is  bounding  to  make  a  bold  stand; 
The  youth  of  our  country  in  armor  shine  bright, 
Determine,!  on  victory,  they  haste  to  the  fight. 
The  cannons  roar  louder,  each  brave  heart  seems  prouder, 
And  loud  shouts  of  vict'ry  burst  forth  from  the  plain, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  483 

The  Mexicans  wheeling,  their  broken  ranks  reeling, 
Though  vain  is  the  effort  to  rally  again. 
Now  some  eyes  are  weeping,  and  some  hearts  are  leap 
ing. 
Palo  Alto's  red  field  is  now  covered  with  gore, 

Where  many  brave  heroes  lie  silently  sleeping, 

To  awake  to  the  call  of  their  country  no  more, 

Whilst  the  foemen  now  stand  on  the  broad  Rio  Grande 

Their  boats  not  sufficient  to  ferry  them  o'er; 

Their  terror  increasing,  equipage  releasing, 

They  have  plunged  and  are  lost  in  the  torrent's  loud  roar. 

The   cry,    "  They  are  drowning,"  through   the  camp   is 

now  sounding; 

But  our  boats  were  removed  ere  the  battle  was  o'er, 
And  with  faces  dejected,  our  heroes  collected 
To  witness  the  scene  from  the  Rio  Grande  shore. 
TAYLOR  victorious,  no  name  more  glorious 
Could  cheer  the  brave  hearts  of  Columbia's  sons. 
Our  victory  complete,  to  our  foes  a  defeat, 
Come,  now  shout  it  aloud  with  a  trumpet's  strong  tones. 
Adieu  to  1;hose  heroes  who  sank  to  repose, 
Who  fought  their   last  battle,  and   conquered  their  foes, 
Who  bravely  in  action,  with  the  saber  in  hand, 
Sank  to  rest  with  the  foes  near  the  Del  Norte  strand. 
And  to  you  that  survive,  who  fought  sword  in  hand, 
Who  obeyed  the  first  call  of  Columbia's  land; 
Who  fought   for  your  country  where  the  cannons  loud 

roar, 

Amid  sabers'  bright  flash  on  the  Rio  Grande  shore, 
Your  fame  is  untarnished,  your  honor  as  fair 
As  the  maiden's  first  blush,  or  the  bright  morning-star. 
On  earth  to  reward  you  no  power  is  given, 
Immortal  of  birth,  its  reward  is  in  Heaven. 


484  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

THE  PATRIOT'S  DREAM. 

INTRODUCTION. 

I 

SOULS  of  the  brave,  who,  passed  and  gone 

Beyond  the  praise  of  mortal  tongue, 

No  longer  lead  your  legions  on, 

Like  the  immortal  WASHINGTON! 

No  thrilling  shout  to  freedom's  son, 

To  gird  his  glittering  armor  on; 

No  victory  now  is  lost  or  won, 

Nor  battle  stayed  at  setting  sun; 

Nor  no  terrific  cannons  roar, 

To  rouse  the  dreadful  god  of  war. 


But  would  to  God  the  trump  could  sound, 
For  those  now  in  oppression  bound, 
And  let  them  pass  the  watchword  round, 
To  Canada's  remotest  bound; 
That  freedom's  sons  might  catch  the  tone 
All  Tory  faction  to  put  down; 
While  rushing  on  to  liberty, 
Their  only  watchword — victory. 


The  patriot  then  did  heave  a  sigh, 
That's  wafted  by  the  breeze  on  high; 
Likewise  the  spirits  of  the  slain, 
"  Revenge  !  "  they  one  and  all  proclaim. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  485 

Arrayed  before  their  God,  they  stand, 
And  retribution  there  demand. 


And  now,  methinks,  I  do  behold 

Bright  swords  of  steel,  and  crowns  of  gold, 

Descending  near  with  a  proud  crest, 

The  haughty  tyrants  to  arrest. 

I  saw  them,  marshaled  one  by  one, 

In  single  file  come  marching  down; 

I  saw  their  gallant  leader  mount, 

And  well  I  knew  the  murdered  LOUNT. 

Then  next  to  him,  in  this  bright  train, 

Behold  the  bleeding  MATHEWS  came. 

5 

The  next  I  saw  was  freedom's  son, 
A  warlike,  bold  Kentuckian; 
With  rifle  long  and  steel  all  bared, 
For  deadly  conflict  then  prepared; 
And  on  his  breast  he  wore  a  star, 
That  marked  him  as  a  man  of  war; 
His  step  was  measured,  firm,  and  slow — 
In  him  I  recognized  MORROW ! 


And  then  the  next  I  did  descry 
Was  WILLIAM  PUTNAM'S  eagle  eye. 
I  saw  his  form  erect  and  fair, 
His  dauntless  look  and  manly  air; 
I  saw  him  marching  to  the  field, 
With  vengeance  written  on  his  shield. 


486  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


VAN  SCHOULTS  next  came  to  grace  the  band, 
An  exiled  son  of  Poland's  land; 
Well  trained  to  arms  in  days  of  yore — 
A  military  air  he  bore! 
And  as  I  stood  there,  quite  amazed, 
Upon  the  motley  crowd  I  gazed; 
But  soon  I  turned  my  eye  again 
From  the  bright  legions  of  the  plain- 
When  at  my  side  and  all  alone, 
In  armor  bright,  stood  captain  DONE. 
He  waved  a  banner  in  his  hand, 
An  emblem  of  the  Spartan  band, 
Who  yielded  not  to  Britain's  power — 
Who  scorned  to  flee  in  danger's  hour. 


And  then  I  turned  to  look  again 
On  the  bright  legions  of  the  plain; 
I  heard  a  bugle's  distant  peal, 
I  heard  the  clang  of  hoof  and  steel ! 
I  saw  the  warlike  hosts  did  kneel; 
And  their  bent  forms  did  then  reveal 
Fair  freedom's  noblest,  bravest  son— 
The  great,  immortal  WASHINGTON! 
He  made  a  signal  with  his  hand- 
Each  chief  arose  at  his  command; 
Loud  shouts  burst  from  the  sceptered  crowd, 
The  echo  came  both  long  and  loud; 
Again  the  hero  waved  his  hand, 
Again  the  crowd  'obeyed  command. 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  487 


His  dress  was  as  in  days  of  yore; 

A  uniform  of  blue  he  wore, 

A  plume  of  white  his  cap  it  bore, 

That  high  above  the  rest  did  soar. 

His  face  was  pale,  though  calm  his  eye — 

He  looked  around,  then  heaved  a  sigh; 

Bowed  to  the  crowd  with  a  caress, 

And  thus  commenced  his  last  address. 

10 
WASHINGTON. 

"  Chieftains  of  war,  in  battle  tried — 
Your  country's  care,  your  nation's  pride! 
Who  fought  not  for  an  empty  name, 
Nor  shed  your  blood  for  gold  or  fame; 
But  from  the  rise  to  set  of  sun 
Stood  as  your  country's  champion; 
Who  deepest  hewed  where  despots  stood, 
On  plains  Canadian  shed  their  blood; 
Ye  noble  shades  of  earthly  dust, 
Well  might  your  country  in  ye  trust! 
And  ye  have  passed  death's  stormy  waves, 
Your  bodies  rest  in  earthly  graves; 
But  there  they  will  no  longer  feel 
Oppression's  hand  nor  traitor's  steel. 

ii 

"  Our  country's  bound  in  servile  chains, 
And  pampered  despots  hold  the  reins; 


488  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 

With  bitter  cries  our  country  groans — 

Her  fairest  daughters  make  their  moans; 

Her  noblest  sons  have  exiles  fled, 

Or  rest  with  the  forgotten  dead, 

Or  groan  within  some  prison  cell, 

Or  in  some  secret  cavern  dwell, 

Or  in  a  menial,  servile  way, 

For  clemency  to  despots  pray; 

Or  start  forth  with  a  stalwart  hand, 

Strike  down  some  leader  of  their  band, 

And  then,  unaided,  he  must  fly, 

Or  like  a  felon  he  must  die. 

12 

"But  haste!  ye  heroes  of  the  past. 
At  God's  command,  shout  forth  the  blast; 
Call  forth  the  dead,  in  battle  slain, 
And  let  them  all  return  again, 
To  meet  in  field  their  country's  foe, 
And  deal  to  them  a  deathly  blow, 
And  hurl  Great  Britain  from  the  land 
Where  freedom's  flag  has. made  a  stand. 

13 

'  But  unto  me  no  power  is  given, 
From  the  great  Judge  or  court  of  Heaven, 
Now  to  descend  to  earth  again, 
On  battle-fields  to  witness  pain — 
Else  with  the  sword  I  once  did  wield, 
I'd  march  with  you  into  the  field; 
And  then  in  conflict  dread  to  see, 
Strike  for  a  nation's  Liberty  ! 
But  at  the  bar  of  God  I'll  stand 
And  plead  for  that  devoted  band." 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  489 

H 

The  heavens  rang,  so  loud  they  cheered; 
I  looked  again,  he'd  disappeared; 
The  bugle  sounds  its  lofty  strains, 
One  living  sea  now  spreads  the  plains; 
All  in  bright  armor  now  arrayed, 
Marshaled  for  war  and  on  parade. 
I  saw  their  glittering  armor  flash, 
I  saw  their  noble  chargers  dash; 
I  watched  them  long  with  startling  eyes, 
As  fast  to  earth  the  legion  flies. 

15 

When  I  a-cvoke  I  was  alone, 
My  seat  was  a  moss-covered  stone; 
The  leaves  in  listless  silence  hung, 
The  night  insects  around  me  sung  ; 
The  sun  had  sought  the  western  hill, 
Throwing  its  last  rays  on  the  rill, 
That  murmured  on  in  music  sweet, 
And  played  in  gambols  at  my  feet — 
Then  hurrying  on  in  swift  retreat, 
Some  other  listening  ear  to  greet; 
Or  the  broad  Foxs  stream  to  meet, 
And  roll  on  with  that  crystal  sheet — 
But  still  my  mind  will  oft  revert 
To  scenes  the  nearest  to  my  heart. 

10 

Canadian  wilds!   my  early  home, 
I  think  of  thee  whene'er  alone; 

32 


490  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


An  exile  now  compelled  to  roam 
In  a  strange  land,  to  all  unknown; 
None  to  extend  a  genial  hand— 
A  pilgrim  in  a  stranger  land. 

17 

The  lonely  crag  to  me  endeared— 
Its  mossy  brown  my  childhood  cheered. 
The  rising  hill,  the  creek,  the  dell, 
The  ancient  tree,  the  pond,  and  well, 
The  field  my  youthful  hand  did  till, 
The  plowman's  song,  the  clattering  mill: 
All  these  endeared  this  land  to  me — 
Home  of  my  youth  and  infancy. 
Thy  stumpy  fields  I  fain  would  sow, 
The  growing  thistle  up  I'd  hoe; 
Protect  my  corn  against  the  crow, 
And  in  the  depths  of  winter  go 
To  hunt  the  deer  'mid  four  feet  snow. 
With  all  those  hardships  I'd  comply, 
And  labor  until  called  to  die, 
If  but  one  boon  could  granted  be, 
My  country's  rights, — her  liberty. 

18 

But  oh !  how  could  I  longer  stand, 
And  see  a  ruthless  Tory  band, 
Without  an  order  or  command, 
Wide  ravaging  my  native  land. 

19 

Age  was  then  no  guard  'gainst  wrong, 
Weakness  protected  not  the  young; 
For  them  did  beauty  have  no  charms, 


COLONEL  L.  A.  NORTON.  .491 

Save  while  within  the  ruffian's  arms: 
To  justice  blind,  in  manners  base — 
A  curse  unto  the  human  race! 
In  parlors  grand  their  horses  eat; 
Behold  their  inmates  in  the  street; 
Behold  that  mother  far  and  near 
Seeks  shelter  for  her  offspring  dear, 
And  when  successful,  she  at  last 
Can  shield  them  from  the  winter's  blast; 
But  driven  from  affluency, 
To  most  degrading  misery. 

20 

While  the  sire,  flying  from  his  home, 

Now  in  a  foreign  land  to  roam, 

With  a  sad  and  troubled  mind, 

To  leave  his  dearest  ones  behind: 

And  rude  the  shelter  they  would  find 

'Mid  tyrants  who,  to  justice  blind, 

Had  robbed  him  of  that  much-loved  home, 

And  then  compelled  him  far  to  roam. 


But  hark!  again  they  come — they  come, 
The  bugle  sounds,  the  rattling  drum — 
Now,  Spartans  bold,  defend  your  home ! 
But  ah,  behold  in  prison  den, 
Where  lies  her  noblest,  bravest  men. 
With  galling  chains  their  limbs  are  bourn 
And,  closely  pinioned  to  the  ground, 
In  vain  for  justice  there  they  cry, 
Without  a  trial  doomed  to  die. 


492  *  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 


.      22 

While  you  rule  with  mighty  sway, 

Now,  Britain,  list  to  what  I  say: 

You'll  think  of  it  some  coming  day, 

When  colonies  are  swept  away; 

And  when  your  empire,  proud  and  vast, 

Is  blotted  from  the  light  of  day, 

Some  passing  traveler  will  say, 

Here  was  an  empire  of  renown, 

That  ruled  and  wore  Britannia's  crown; 

But  she,  like  other  nations  past, 

Is  crushed  by  her  own  guilt  at  last." 

23 

But  she  sinks  not  to  oblivion  shade, 
Where  fated  Rome  and  Greece  are  laid ; 
But  rises  from  her  fallen  state, 
With  sister  nations  to  be  great. 
With  tyranny  no  longer  wed- 
No  longer  bow  to  crowned  head; 
But  freedom's  living  light  now  shed, 
Where  tyranny  in  darkness  fled. 
Now  peace  and  plenty  kindly  smile 
Where  want  and  misery  frowned  erewhile. 
How  cheerful  is  each  village  clan, 
The  boon  from  God  bestowed  to  man; 
How  happy  then  old  England's  shore, 
When  despots  rule  her  courts  no  more  ! 


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